NCMC women's basketball won a semifinal Region 16 Tournament matchup with St. Louis CC 90-52 before falling to Jefferson College in the championship game 75-65 this past weekend. The Lady Pirates will hope for an at-large bid to the NJCAA DII National Tournament after getting eliminated from postseason play with a record of 24-8 overall.
Three Lady Pirates earned All-Region Recognition. Well done Honor, Liz and Tailer.
Region 16 Tournament Semifinal: NCMC 90, St. Louis CC 52
The Lady Pirates delivered a dominant all-around performance in their victory over St. Louis Community College. Honor Mannings led the offensive charge with a game-high 28 points, shooting 7-of-16 from the field and 11-of-13 from the free throw line. She added seven rebounds and five steals, impacting the game on both ends of the floor.
Tailer Morrison recorded a strong interior presence with 11 points and six rebounds, while Liz Oliver contributed nine points, six boards, and two assists. Sidney Aeschliman added three points, two rebounds, and a block, and Keylie Beane stuffed the stat sheet with eight rebounds, seven assists, and three steals to pace the Lady Pirates' ball movement and defensive pressure.
Off the bench, Lexi Burns provided a spark with 12 points, going a perfect 4-for-4 at the line. Delaney Richards knocked down three triples en route to 11 points and dished out four assists. Laney Uchtman pulled down seven rebounds to go along with four points, Addilyn Henke added five rebounds and four points, and Peyton Johnson chipped in six points on two three-pointers.
As a team, the Lady Pirates shot 40 percent from the field, 42.3 percent from beyond the arc, and 79.3 percent at the free throw line. NCMC controlled the glass with 49 rebounds and forced constant pressure defensively, finishing with 12 steals.
Region 16 Tournament Championship: Jefferson College 75, NCMC 65
In the championship game, NCMC battled throughout but came up short against Jefferson College, falling 75-65 on the road. Shooting woes were just too much to overcome despite relentless effort from the Lady Pirates.
Honor Mannings paced NCMC offensively with 17 points on an efficient 6-of-13 shooting effort, knocking down both of her attempts from beyond the arc and adding five rebounds and three steals. Lexi Burns provided a strong lift off the bench, finishing with 12 points and six rebounds, including four on the offensive glass.
Laney Uchtman added 10 points and five rebounds, while Addilyn Henke contributed nine points and four assists, connecting on a pair of three-pointers. Sidney Aeschliman chipped in five points and three rebounds, and Tailer Morrison added six points in the post.
Liz Oliver anchored the Lady Pirates on the boards with a team-high 10 rebounds to go along with three assists and a block. As a team, NCMC controlled the glass with a 43-40 rebounding advantage and forced 20 turnovers, turning up the defensive pressure with 15 steals.