Miles cured what ailed Kirkwood

CEDAR RAPIDS - Casey Miles finally is healthy and she was the cure for what ailed a sluggish Kirkwood women's basketball team last night at Johnson Hall.

Miles came off the bench to score six points during a 27-0 Kirkwood run that sent the No. 7 Eagles past Ellsworth, 75-30, in the quarterfinals of the NJCAA Division II Region XI tournament.

The Eagles (26-5) host Iowa Central (20-11) in a semifinal game at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. If Kirkwood wins that game it will host the regional championship at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Kirkwood drubbed Ellsworth (6-24) by 35-point margins twice during the regular season, yet came out last night apprehensive, missing nine of its first 10 shots. The game was tied at 6-6 with 14:23 left in the first half.

'I thought we were a little tight early,” Kirkwood Coach Kim Muhl said. 'But our second group came in and did a nice job. They came in and just played.”

Miles' 3-pointer helped spark the 27-0 run that blew the game open. Reserves scored 20 of those points.

'I think we were just really amped up,” Miles said. 'It's a big game, so everybody gets a little jittery. My job is to come off the bench and get everybody settled down.”

Kirkwood led 38-16 at halftime and Ellsworth never got closer than 19 points in the second half. The Eagles also had a 27-1 run during 10-minute span in the second half.

Because of injuries ranging from sprained ankles to concussions, Miles - a freshman from Hudson - appeared in 22 games and averaged 3.7 points in the regular season.

'That's (injuries) a small issue,” said Miles, who matched starter Cassidy Clark for game-high scoring honors with 12. 'We're good now.”

Miles' role has increased with the loss of sophomore guard Tyra Polite, out for the season with a fractured ankle.

'I used to just focus on my defense, but with Ty gone, we have to step up and score,” she said.

Kirkwood's bench players combined for 48 points. Aliyah Isaac had 11, Caitlin Sudduth 8 and Ariel Sneed 7.

Kirkwood is bidding for its first regional title since 2012 and 16th overall under Muhl. The regional champion qualifies for the national tournament, March 17-22, at Overland Park, Kan.