DMACC eliminates third-ranked Kirkwood in NJCAA women’s regional semifinal, 66-54

CEDAR RAPIDS – This one looked a bit different from the two regular-season meetings.

Third-ranked Kirkwood was on the wrong end of a 12-0 first-quarter burst and never responded, falling to No. 15 Des Moines Area Community College, 66-54, in a NJCAA Division II women's basketball regional semifinal Thursday at Johnson Hall.

'They deserved to beat us,” Kirkwood Coach Kim Muhl said. 'They outplayed us. They were more prepared than our kids I thought were. Maybe that's my fault, I don't know. But you've got to hit shots.”

The defeat denies Kirkwood (27-6) a chance to play for a third trip to the NJCAA national tournament in five years. The Eagles were the top seed in the eight-team regional and had won 15 of 16 games entering Thursday, including a pair of 15-point victories over DMACC but it was evident early that Kirkwood was not going to match the DMACC firepower.

After former Cedar Rapids Prairie prep Cyerra Hutchins began the game with a 3-point play, Kirkwood post Madison Wood extended the Eagles' lead to 5-0 with a bucket. From there, DMACC pounced with a dozen-straight points.

The DMACC lead reached 15 on three different occasions in the second quarter, and was as high as 17 in the second half. The Bears were sparked by a dozen first-half points from 6-foot-2 forward Kiana Peterson, who finished with a game-high 18.

A bucket by Angel Agoth closed the first quarter with DMACC up, 26-15, and the game was never in single digits again over the final three quarters.

'I thought we were very out of character defensively,” Muhl said. 'We tried to switch the tempo and go full-court man (to man). That worked for a little bit and then they adjusted and did a nice job.”

Wood – who led the Eagles with a 11.6 scoring average entering the game – managed just two points and fouled out with 1:55 to go.

Kirkwood did not make a 3-pointer until sophomore Caitlin Sudduth rimmed one home with 6:25 left in the game and the Eagles trailing by 16, 55-39. Sudduth led the Eagles with 13 points, while Dominique Jennings added 12.

Kirkwood finished 1-of-18 shooting from behind the 3-point line.

'You've got to hit shots and you've got to get something out of kids and we didn't get them,” Muhl said. 'It's not rocket science. If kids don't score, you can't get nothing out of them.”

AT JOHNSON HALL

DMACC (66):

Deja McAtee 1 0-0 3, Amanda Cartney 3 0-0 6, Cassie Geopfert 1 4-7 6, Shayla Dean 1 3-5 6, Kelsey Pretz 0 2-4 2, Kiana Peterson 4 7-8 18, Angel Agoth 4 0-0 8, Samantha Hughes 2 1-1 5, London Vais 4 3-4 12. Totals: 20 20-29 66.

KIRKWOOD (54):

Deleyah Harris 0 0-0 0, Amber Lemons 0 0-0 0, Casey Miles 0 0-0 0, A.J. Downs 1 3-5 5, Mesha Wheatly 2 0-0 4, Addie Oberman 1 2-2 4, Caitlin Sudduth 4 4-5 13, Cyerra Hutchins 4 1-1 9, Ariana Dampier 2 1-2 5, Dominque Jennings 6 0-1 12, Madison Wood 1 0-0 2. Totals 21 11-16 54.

Halftime - DMACC 39, Kirkwood 28. 3-point goals - DMACC 6 (Peterson 3, McAtee, Dean, Vais), Kirkwood 1 (Sudduth). Rebounds - DMACC 30 (Geopfert 5), Kirkwood 42 (Harris 7). Assists - DMACC 15 (Cartney 3, Dean 3, Knittel 3), Kirkwood (8 (Sudduth 4). Turnovers - DMACC 20, Kirkwood 22. Total fouls - DMACC 18, Kirkwood 26. Fouled out -

Harris, Wood.

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com