Notes, observations and other thoughts about basketball played at 38th and Central...

Women's basketball at NJCAA Division II National Tournament at Leggett & Platt Athletic Center on campus on Missouri Southern University in Joplin, Missouri.
Fifth-place matchup
#7 Morton College (32-4) vs. #5 Iowa Western (33-3)
Game time: 2 p.m. Saturday, March 23^rd
Broadcast: NJCAA Network ($12 per day pass, $35 for tournament)
 
The combined record (65-7) of these two teams usually is good enough for a championship matchup, not one for fifth. Both have losses to Kirkwood and North Central Missouri in common.

Both teams handled the sting from quarterfinal losses to advance. Morton College easily handled Lincoln Land 86-57, while Iowa Western held off 34-win Rock Valley 66-63.
 
All about Iowa Western
Points per game (offense): 74.8 – 21^st nationally
Points per game (defense): 56.1 – 28^th nationally
Top players
McKenna Minter (5-8 redshirt freshman guard) – 20.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.6 assists
Shannon Niles (5-6 sophomore guard) – 13.8 points, 5.3 rebounds
Blessing Teamer (5-10 freshman guard) – 9.1 points, 5.5 rebounds
Alindra Dudley (5-5 freshman guard) – 8.9 points, 4.6 rebounds
Caleigh Rose-West (6-1 sophomore forward) – 6.3 points, 8.0 rebounds

All about Morton College
Points per game (offense) – 87.9 – 4^th nationally
Points per game (defense) – 51.3 – 7^th nationally

Top players
Brynne Katcher (6-0 freshman forward) – 14.0 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 59 blocks
Nariah Clay (5-10 freshman guard) – 13.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 111 three-pointers
Sophia Remmel (5-6 freshman guard) – 12.6 points, 3.0 assists, 85 three-pointers
Alex Stewart (5-8 freshman guard) – 11.2 points, 4.1 rebounds
Shanihya Brown (5-4 sophomore guard) – 10.5 points, 2.1 steals
Antionique Auston (5-9 freshman forward) – 9.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.4 steals
Taylor Marquart (5-11 sophomore forward) – 8.2 points, 7.7 rebounds
Caroline Clemmer (5-7 sophomore guard) – 7.6 points

Three-point success
Morton College's ability to shoot the three-pointer has really opened some eyes at nationals.

The Panthers became the first team in 61 games to drop 10-plus three-pointers on Harcum in their 87-72 opening-round win.

Morton College's 16 three-pointers in an 88-78 quarterfinal loss to Kirkwood were the most given up by the Eagles since North Iowa Area made 19 on March 8, 2020.

Morton College upped its national-leading three-point total to 431, the second year in a row the Panthers have made 400 or more threes in a season. The Panthers have made 899 threes the past two years and 1,193 the last three seasons.

Four in Region IV
Morton College's 102-59 win over Carl Sandburg in the Region IV Midwest District A championship game gave the Panthers their program-record fourth straight Region IV crown.
 
30 times 3
This season, Morton College reached the 30-win mark for the third consecutive time, a first in program history. The Panthers won 30 games in 2022, 34 in 2023 and 32 in 2024.
 
They're all here…
The three teams Morton College lost to during the regular season? They all made it into the field at the NJCAA Division II nationals.
 
Here they are….
#6 seed Mesa – Lost 77-71 November 11, 2023
#15 seed Lake Land – Lost 64-58 December 2, 2023
#17 seed North Central Missouri – Lost 68-60 December 15, 2023
 
Morton College at nationals
2021
Qualified, didn't participate
 
2022 (2^nd)
Union County W 56-52 (first round)
Johnson County W 62-57 (quarterfinals)
CCBC Essex W 84-72 (semifinals)
Kirkwood L 49-44 (championship)

2023 (5^th)
United Tribes W 78-47 (first round)
Richard Bland L 69-63 (quarterfinals)
Johnson County W 69-55 (fifth-place semifinals)
Bryant & Stratton W 69-61 (fifth place)

2024
Harcum W 87-72 (first round)
Kirkwood L 88-78 (quarterfinals)
Lincoln Land W 86-57 (fifth-place semifinals)