ICCAC releases Division II Women's Basketball Top Honorees for 2021
The ICCAC announced the 2021 Division II Women's Basketball postseason awards on Monday following the results of the Region XI-A & B Championships.
The 2021 Player of the Year was sophomore forward Isabell West of Iowa Central. West was the conference leader in scoring (18.9 PPG) and rebounding (13.5 RPG). West also was top ten in the conference in blocks (22, 5th), field-goal percentage (49.6%, 9th), and free throw percentage (72%, 8th). Bell posted double-doubles in points and rebounds in 18 of the Tritons 21 games. Three times she recorded 20-point, 20-rebound performances. She scored a season-high 34 points against Southeastern on March 6, and her rebound-high was 23 against Iowa Lakes on March 24.
West and Tritons won the Region XI-B Championship and return to the NJCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013.
The Tritons had another player earn First Team. Nevaeh Galloway was voted to First Team and also selected the Defensive Player of the Year. Galloway led the conference in blocks with 69, nearly double of second-most in the league. That averaged to 3.6 blocks per game, good enough No. 3 in the NJCAA. Galloway also was a top ten rebounder and grabbed the second most defensive rebounds (121).
Galloway was also a solid scorer with 11.5 points per game for Iowa Central.
The regular season title in Division II went to the Kirkwood Eagles for the eighth time in the last 10 seasons. The Eagles only had one loss in conference play (19-1) and finished District play with a record of 21-1. With that, Coach of the Year was awarded to Kirkwood's long-time leader Kim Muhl. Although Kirkwood has only played 22 games, their 21-wins gives Coach Muhl his 32nd consecutive 20-win season in his 32nd year.
Eight Eagles earned All-Region, including four on first team. Of their four selections on the First Team were four of their top five scorers.
Kortney Drake led Kirkwood with 12 points per game. Drake led the conference in three-point percentage (49.6%) and also did well at taking care of the basketball as she was 11th in assist/turnover ratio (1.4).
Tatiana Hodges-Johnson was the model of consistency and versatility. She shot 49% from the field and 42% from three. She scored 8.4 points per game for the Eagles, pulled down 3.2 rebounds, and dished out 2.6 assists per game.
Kemara Watson was another all-around player for Kirkwood that was named First Team. Watson averaged 11.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and was fourth in the league in blocks averaging 1.2 per game. She hit 21 of 59 three-pointers and was ninth in percentage at 35.6%.
Rounding out the First Teamers for Kirkwood was Ashley Tull. Tull was one of the best defenders in the conference as she blocked 39 shots, second in the conference, and pulled in 8.3 rebounds per game, which was third most throughout the ICCAC. Tull was named the Region XI-A Tournament MVP to help the Eagles back to the NJCAA Tournament.
DMACC was also one of three teams that earned multiple selections to the First Team with Jada Powell and Newcomer of the Year Grace Flanagan.
Powell was among the best defensive players putting together 22 blocks (5th). She just missed out on double-digit rebounds per game with at 9.9 per game, one rebound shy of that mark (199 rebounds in 20 games).
Newcomer of the Year Flanagan was one of the best all-around players in the conference. She was second in the ICCAC in steals (60) and was also in the top five in three-point (46%, 4th) free throw percentage (84%, 2nd) and points per game (15.6, 4th). Flanagan netted 57 three-pointers, second most, which made her percentage that much more valuable for the Bears.
Rounding out the First Team, NIACC and Southwestern each had one player appointed with the NIACC freshman Kourtney Manning and Southwestern sophomore Brielle Baker.
Manning was the go-to player for the Trojans. She was a top-ten rebounder and scorer at 8.4 (4th) rebounds and 14.7 (9th) points per game.
Baker was a great player for the Spartans. Southwestern earned the No. 4 seed and her 15.3 points per game was fifth-best in the conference. She was the top rebounding guard throughout the ICCAC at 8.2 rebounds per game, she also got the job done defensively with 50 total steals ranking third.
The 2021 All-Region teams were selected by the head coaches of the ICCAC. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players.
| First Team All-Region | ||||
| # | Player | College | Pos. | Class |
| 12 | Jada Powell | DMACC | F | So. |
| 22 | Grace Flanagan | DMACC | G | Fr. |
| 22 | Nevaeh Galloway | Iowa Central | F | Fr. |
| 34 | Isabell West | Iowa Central | F | So. |
| 2 | Tatiana Hodges Johnson | Kirkwood | G | So. |
| 14 | Kortney Drake | Kirkwood | G | So. |
| 23 | Kemara Watson | Kirkwood | P | So. |
| 50 | Ashley Tull | Kirkwood | P | So. |
| 2 | Kourtney Manning | NIACC | F | Fr. |
| 3 | Brielle Baker | Southwestern | G | So. |
| Second Team All-Region | ||||
| # | Player | College | Pos. | Class |
| 14 | Magan Christopherson | DMACC | G | FR. |
| 12 | Autumn Dykstra | Iowa Central | G | Fr. |
| 24 | Carley West | Iowa Central | G | Fr. |
| 24 | Rachel Puok | Iowa Lakes | G | Fr. |
| 30 | Jaeda Whitner | Iowa Lakes | PG | Fr. |
| 1 | Karsyn Stratton | Kirkwood | G | Fr. |
| 12 | Naya Haymon | Kirkwood | G | Fr. |
| 40 | Abigail Leach | NIACC | F | So. |
| 30 | Alyssa Morris | Southwestern | G/F | Fr. |
| 32 | Kaylynn Tucker | Southwestern | G | So. |
| Third Team All-Region | ||||
| # | Player | College | Pos. | Class |
| 25 | Emily Caspers | DMACC | C | FR. |
| 3 | Keara Williams | Ellsworth | PG | So. |
| 5 | Ellie Barrows | Ellsworth | G | So. |
| 10 | Madison Hough | Iowa Lakes | G | Fr. |
| 40 | Rachel Breck | Iowa Lakes | C | Fr. |
| 5 | Tasia Jordan | Kirkwood | G | Fr. |
| 20 | Maddie Paulsen | Kirkwood | P | So. |
| 30 | Antuanae Garrett | Southeastern | G | Fr. |
| 10 | Michenna Davis | Southeastern | G | Fr. |
| 22 | Whynter Waterhouse | Southwestern | F | So. |
Player of the Year: Isabell West, Iowa Central
Newcomer of the Year: Grace Flanagan, DMACC
Defensive Player of the Year: Nevaeh Galloway, Iowa Central
Coach of the Year: Kim Muhl, Kirkwood