Five Iowa Lakes Community College women's basketball athletes were named to the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) Division II Women's Basketball All-Region teams.
Mia Wassink was named to the ICCAC All-Region 1st team, Lemia Ntor-Ue earned 2nd team All-Region honors, and Marissa Ruiz, Marisela Perez and Calynn Jackson earned 3rd team All-Region honors.
Mia Wassink, a sophomore from Edgerton, MN led the team in scoring and rebounds this year. Mia averaged 15.3 points per game and 9.1 rebounds per game. Wassink has now earned 1st Team All-Region honors for both her freshman and sophomore years while at Iowa Lakes. Wassink had twelve double-doubles this year including a 37 point and 13 rebound performance on November 11th against North Platte Community College in Norfolk, NE.
When asked about Mia, Head Coach Ashley Martin had this to say, "Mia earned 1st team all-region honors as a freshman but continued to improve her sophomore season. Mia really stepped up her game by improving her shooting. By consistently making the 15 foot jumper she forced defenders to guard her outside the lane. I'm so happy for Mia; she is one of those kids that comes in and works hard every day without expecting much praise and I'm so proud that she has been recognized with this honor."
Lemia Ntor-Ue a sophomore from Brooklyn Park, MN, was second in scoring and rebounds this year by averaging 13.4 points per game and 6.3 rebounds per game. Lemia shot 48.1 percent from the field and 67.7 percent from the free throw line. Lemia had an outstanding showing of 25 points, 9 rebounds and 5 steals on November 21st against Grandview JV.
"Lemia is one of those defenders that opponents hate to go up against. Her relentless defense wears post players down throughout the course of a game. Even more impressive she can put up big numbers on the offensive end. Lemia's dedication and hard work in the off-season paid off in her greatly improved free throw percentage and ability to score on the block." commented Head Coach Ashley Martin
Marissa Ruiz, a sophomore from Saint Paul, MN, averaged 10.3 points per game while shooting 31.1 percent from behind the arc and 78.2 percent from the free throw line for the Lakers. Marissa shot 37.2 percent from the field and averaged 1.9 steals per game. Marissa earned a career high by scoring 21 points on January 31st against NIACC.
"I'm so proud of the growth that Marissa has shown in her time at Iowa Lakes. When Marissa came to Iowa Lakes she saw herself as only a shooter, but has embraced everything that I have asked her to do. This season she was a tenacious defender, more often than not guarding the opponents best scorerer. Even with these defensive assignments Marissa was a consistent offensive presence. Her ability to knock down the three opened up our offense and her ball handling skills allowed us to take some pressure off of our point guard," commented Head Coach Ashley Martin.
Marisela Perez, a sophomore from Denver, CO, averaged 7.1 points per game, 1.5 steals, and 1.2 assists. Marisela shot 27.3 percent from behind the arc and 78.6 percent from the free throw line. Marisela recorded 117 assists and 40 steals throughout her 2017-18 season at Iowa Lakes.
"Mari was a great point guard for our team this season. Her ability to see the floor and the set the pace led to a lot of opportunities for her teammates. Mari has a very high basketball IQ; as a capable scorer she was a very unselfish teammate always putting her teammates in good positions. Mari was a great on ball defender that led the start of our defense picking up the ball handler every possession," commented Head Coach Ashley Martin.
Calynn Jackson, a freshman from Indianapolis, IN, led the Lakers from behind the arc, shooting 36.4 percent and also from behind the free throw line, shooting 79.2 percent. Calynn averaged 9.5 points per game and 5.1 rebounds. Calynn shot 37.8 percent from the field while dishing out 44 assists for the 2017-18 season.
"Calynn gave us a different dimension in her ability to play our guard or post spot. Her versatility led to some difficult matchups for our opponents. She sees the floor very well and her understanding of the game allows her to make plays," commented Head Coach Ashley Martin.
The Laker women ended their season with an overall record of 13-18 and 6-8 record in conference.
For a full list of the ICCAC Women's Basketball All-Region Teams go to: http://www.iccac.org/sports/wbkb/2017-18/releases/20180307jcp703
Photo ID's: Photos of players are attached.
MEDIA: For more information please contact Ashley Martin at the Iowa Lakes Sports Information Marketing Office at 712-362-7928.