OVERLAND PARK, Kan. The No. 2 seed Johnson County (32-1) women's basketball team dominated the first and fourth quarters on their way to a 98-67 victory over No. 15 seed Cape Fear (18-6) in the first round of the NJCAA Division II National Tournament in Port Huron, Mich. The 98 points are the second most scored by a Johnson County team in national tournament play.
The Lady Cavaliers started the game on a 9-0 run and closed out the opening quarter 23-9. They got off to another fast start to the second quarter, building a 26-point lead, but Cape Fear fought back over the final minutes to a 17-point deficit at the break.
The teams played nearly even in the third with JCCC edging the Sea Devils by a point, 24-23, but the fourth quarter was nearly a carbon copy of the first as Johnson County opened on a 9-0 run on their way to a 22-9 advantage and a 31-point victory.
Five Lady Cavaliers finished in double figures led by 2022 KJCCC D-II Freshman and Defensive Player of the Year Nariyah Simmons with 21 points. She hit 7-of-15 shots and 7-of-9 free throws. She also grabbed six rebounds.
Conference MVP Kierra Prim followed 17 points on 6-of-10 shooting and 5-of-6 free throws, but she was held to six rebounds below her 10 rebound per game average.
Sophomore guard Shonyah Hawkins led JCCC's bench with 16 points and five boards. She was perfect at the line making all four attempts and hit 6-of-15 field goal attempts.
Last year's National Player of the Year Jaylen Townsend finished with 13 points and five rebounds and two-time all-conference guard Gabby Fuller added 11 points and led JCCC with eight rebounds.
Other key efforts were turned in by Aryannah Harrison (7 points, 3 rebounds) and Jayde Williams (7 point, 3 rebounds).
Cape Fear was led by their leading scorers Rashuna Grant and Jade Nowlin. Grant finished 24 points and Nowlin followed with 17.
Johnson County will now face No. 7 seed Morton College (28-2) who advanced with a 56-52 victory over No. 10 seed Union County. Morton qualified for the 2021 NJCAA D-II Tournament but did not get to play due to COVID-19 protocols.