Suns Fall to Defending Champs in NJCAA DIII Semifinals
ROCHESTER, Minn. – Dallas College Cedar Valley women's basketball team fell to host Rochester Community & Technical College, 66-48, Friday night in the National Junior College Athletic Association Division III semifinals.
The Suns (19-6) will play Northland Community & Technical College (24-6) in the third place game 2 p.m. CT Saturday. Rochester (23-4) will play Minnesota West Community & Technical College (25-7) in a repeat of last year's national championship game at 5 p.m. Saturday. Rochester is the defending champion.
The loss snapped Cedar Valley's program-record 12-game winning streak, which dated back to Dec. 12.
The sixth-seeded Suns battled to come back from a 20-point deficit late in the third quarter, but struggled shooting in the final quarter, and could not pull off a second straight upset. Cedar Valley beat third-seeded Onondaga Community College in the quarterfinals.
Cedar Valley found itself behind by eight late in the first quarter before Deja Thomas hit a three-pointer, and the Suns entered the second period down 17-12. The second-seeded Yellowjackets widened their lead to nine on Kara Goetzinger's jumper 40 seconds into the second quarter. Deja Thomas' layup at the 5:21 mark pulled the Suns within four.
Cedar Valley trailed 33-26 at the half.
Mia Thomas' layup in the first minute of the second half pulled the Suns within five, but Macaya Copeland's three put the Yellowjackets up 38-28. After baskets by Vivian Nwabufo and Deja Thomas kept the Suns within eight, the Yellowjackets went on a 15-3 run to take a 55-35 lead with 1:06 left in the third. Deja Thomas converted a three-point play with 5:14 remaining in the game to cap an 11-2 Suns' run, trimming the deficit to 11, but Cedar Valley couldn't make up any more ground.
Deja Thomas finished with 18 points, seven steals and a block. Mia Thomas had 14 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Keely Burks and Carmela Hayden each had five points.
Rochester's Jada James had 20 points and 16 rebounds. Copeland had 17 points and four assists. Goetzinger finished with 12 points and 19 boards. Janae Bennett had 10 points, four assists and three steals.
The Yellowjackets outrebounded the Suns, 46-27.
Cedar Valley's bench outscored Rochester, 11-1. The Yellowjackets used only one reserve. The Yellowjackets had a 10-0 advantage in second chance points.
Watch the third place game on the NJCAA Network or follow the live stats.