POPLARVILLE, Miss. – The Itawamba Community College women's basketball team is headed to the NJCAA National Tournament after an 83-65 victory over Mississippi Delta Community College in the Region 23 Championship at Pearl River Community College.
From the opening tip, ICC took control, jumping out to a 15-5 lead in the first quarter. By halftime, the Lady Indians had built a commanding 43-17 advantage, fueled by Jestiny Dixon's 21 points in the first half before finishing with a career-high 30.
The Lady Indians overpowered Mississippi Delta on the glass, outrebounding the Lady Trojans 52-21 and converting those extra opportunities into a 21-4 edge in second-chance points. ICC's bench also made a significant impact, outscoring Delta's reserves 26-7.
Asia Stafford recorded a career-high 12 points and added a career-best nine rebounds. D'Naylah Williams posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Tootie Lockett orchestrated the offense with a career-best 12 assists while also contributing five points and six rebounds.
Janiah Caples led the Lady Trojans with 26 points in the loss.
With the victory, ICC punches its ticket to the NJCAA National Tournament in Casper, Wyoming, marking its first appearance since 2016 and the program's fifth region championship.
Road to the Championship
The Lady Indians entered the Region 23 Tournament as the No. 2 seed. They opened postseason play with a 66-43 win over Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in the second round, then defeated Coahoma Community College 59-49 in the semifinals to advance to the championship game.
Mississippi Delta, the No. 5 seed, began its tournament run with a 60-49 win over East Mississippi. The Lady Trojans then stunned Northeast Mississippi Community College 69-68 in an overtime thriller before knocking off top-seeded No. 14 Pearl River Community College 71-64 in the semifinals.
Now, the Lady Indians look ahead to Casper, where they will compete for a national title.
