Kirkwood’s Cristen Wilson
Cedar Rapids, Iowa (March 5, 2016)-The Kirkwood men’s basketball team won the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II Region XI Championship after their convincing 80-64 victory over Iowa Lakes on Saturday. The team now moves on to the NJCAA Division II National Tournament in Danville, Illinois which is taking place March 15-19.
In the championship game, four Eagles were in double figures in the scoring column. Sophomores Cristen Wilson and Nick Richards stepped up to lead the team to a win. Wilson came off the bench to score 19 points to go with eight rebounds. Richards scored 17 points while collecting nine rebounds and two steals. Hunter Rhodes also notched 15 points and Jacob Olson scored 10 in the win over the Lakers.
Head Coach Bryan Petersen, now in his third season, guided the team to it’s first regional championship under his leadership. The Eagles, ranked sixth in the nation, are now 27-4 overall and went 10-2 in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) regular season. The team ended the conference schedule in a three-way tie with Southwestern and the Iowa Lakes. The three top teams split their head-to-head contests. Kirkwood earned the number one seed in the regional tournament based off of strength of schedule.
The Eagles have the number three seed and will face the Frederick Cougars in the first round. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Tuesday (3/15).
For more Kirkwood Eagles athletic news, go to www.kirkwoodeagles.com.