OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The Johnson County Community College women's basketball team has learned its opponent for the opening round of the NJCAA Division II Women's Basketball Tournament March 15 in Port Huron, Mich. The Lady Cavaliers (31-1) received the No. 2 seed in the tournament and will face the No. 15 seed Cape Fear Community College (18-5). JCCC will be the fourth of six games on the opening day. The tip is scheduled for 4 p.m. EST., and can be seen on the NJCAA Network.
JCCC Overview
Johnson County is making its 13th appearance in the NJCAA D-II Tournament which them for the fourth-most in NJCAA history. The Lady Cavaliers have an all-time tournament record of 27-13 (.675). Their 27 wins are the fifth-most recorded in tournament history.
Johnson County has made four trips to the championship game, winning titles in 2000 and 2015. They finished runner-up in 2017 and last season falling to Lake Land.
The Lady Cavaliers are led by All-America candidate Kierr Prim. She is averaging a double-double of 15.6 points and 10.4 rebounds, which will make her one of 11 players in team history to reach that accomplishment. Last week Prim earned first-team All-Kansas Jayhawk D-II Conference and All-Region 6/Plains District honors and became the fifth JCCC player to be named MVP.
The team's second leading scorer is Jaylen Townsend, last year's NJCAA D-II National Player of the Year. The sophomore from Edwardsville, Ill., is averaging 12.3 points along with 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists. A second-team all-conference and all-region selection this year, Townsend became just the fifth player in team history to score over 1,000 points in a career.
Three other key players are all-conference guards Nariyah Simmons, Gabby Fuller and Mackenzie Hart. Simmons averaged 9.7 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists. She recently was named the KJCCC D-II Freshman and Defensive Player of the Year. Fuller averages 8.2 points and 7.7 rebounds and Hart 6.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and a team-leading 4.6 assists per game.
As a team, Jonson County averages 78.2 points per game and 47.4 rebounds per game, both which rank 14th in the NJCAA. Their rebound margin of 15.9 is sixth-best. JCCC also has one of the country's top defenses. They allow just 47.4 points and hold opponents to a field goal percentage of 29.7, both third-best in the NJCAA.
Cape Fear Overview
Cape Fear is making its fourth appearance in the tournament, posting a 6-5 mark entering play this year. One of their appearances was in 2016 when JCCC was the host site. Cape Fear's best finish came in 2019 with a third-place effort.
Cape Fear averages 74.2 points per game while allowing 59.5. They are shooting nearly 41 percent from the field, but only 25 percent from 3-point range and they struggle at the line hitting just 58 percent.
They have three player averaging double figures in scoring le by Jade Nowlin at 15.4 per game. She is followed by Rashuana Grant at 15.3 and she is the team's top rebounder hauling in 11.4 boards per game. Her rebound average ranks 10th in the NJCAA. Kyia King puts in 12.0 per game and NiAmoni Bagley is close double digits at 9.4.
JCCC Head Coach Ben Conrad 404-57 – 14th Season at JCCC, 497-149 20th Overall
Three-time National Coach of the Year Ben Conrad is in his 14th season at JCCC and earlier this year he notched his 400th victory with the Lady Cavaliers. Even more impressive it he only need 457 games to get it done. Conrad's .875 winning percentage ranks among the top in NJCAA women's basketball. He is averaging nearly 29 wins a season and he is the only NJCAA women's coach to produce six straight 30-win seasons. Conrad became just the fifth women's coach in KJCCC history to reach 400 wins. He joins Brett Erkenbrack (Cloud County), Jerry McCarty (Cloud County/Barton), Jim Littell (Seward County) and Craig Brookover (Coffeyville).
Cape Fear interim coach Trae Bryant - 1st season
Trae Bryant took over when head coach Lori Drake had to leave the program on medical leave. Bryant has led Cape Fear to an 18-5 in his first season. He recently completed his collegiate basketball career at Oklahoma City University in 2020. In May of 2020, he obtained his degree in Broadcast Journalism from OCU. Bryant spent one season (2016-17) as a Sea Devil, playing under then head coach Ryan Mantlo and current head coach Mark Lane. He helped lead the Sea Devils to a 26-8 record while the team averaged 103.9 points per game. Bryant also spent time attending the University of Maine (2017-18) and UNC Asheville (2015-16). Bryant holds the single game scoring record at Hoggard with 46 points against Cary High School in the second round of the NC state playoffs.
Tournament Field
#1 Seed – No. 1 Kirkwood Community College (IA) 32-1
#2 Seed – No. 2 Johnson County (KS) 31-1
#3 Seed – No. 3 CCBC Essex MD (32-0)
#4 Seed – No. 11 Illinois Central IL (24-9)
#5 Seed – No. 6 Bryant & Stratton College (WI) 25-3
#6 Seed – No. 13 Mesa (AZ) 22-7
#7 Seed – No. 10 Morton (IL) 27-2
#8 Seed – No. 17 North Central Missouri (MO) 24-5
#9 Seed – No. 20 Niagara County (NY) 28-3
#10 Seed – No. 9 Union County (NJ) 25-4
#11 Seed – No. 12 Wake Tech (NC) 25-2
#12 Seed – No. 18 Edison State (OH) 29-0
#13 Seed – Muskegon (MI) 24-4
#14 Seed – Oakland (MI) 22-8
#15 Seed – Cape Fear (NC )18-5
#16 Seed – Dakota (ND) 21-12
Tournament First Round Schedule
Tuesday, March 15
Game 1 – 9AM: #6 No. 13 Mesa (AZ) 22-7 vs. #11 No. 12 Wake Tech (NC) 25-2
Game 2 – 11AM: #3 No. 3 CCBC Essex MD (32-0) vs. #14 Oakland (MI) 22-8
Game 3 – 1:00 PM: #7 No. 10 Morton (IL) 27-2 vs. #10 No. 9 Union County (NJ) 25-4
Game 4 – 3:00 PM: #2 No. 2 Johnson County (KS) 31-1 vs. #15 Cape Fear (NC )18-5
Game 5 – 6:00 PM: #1 Kirkwood 32-1 vs. #16 Dakota (ND) 21-12
Game 6 – 8:00 PM: #8 No. 17 North Central Missouri (MO) 24-5 vs. #9 No. 20 Niagara County (NY) 28-3
Wednesday, March 16
Game 7 – 11:00 AM: #4 No. 11 Illinois Central IL (24-9) vs. #13 Muskegon (MI) 24-4
Game 8 – 1:00 PM: #5 No. 6 Bryant & Stratton (WI) 25-3 vs. #12 No. 18 Edison State (OH) 29-0