Photos Courtesy of Nick Dailey (@IDRSports)
Written By Rob Beckmann @Coach_Beckmann
The Independence Pirates Women’s Basketball team entered the 2021 KJCCC Tournament as the overall No. 4 seed (No. 2 from the East Division) and won four-straight games to shock the junior college basketball world and become the NJCAA Region VI Champions. It marked the Pirates’ first region championship since 1996, ending a 25-year drought.
“In my coaching career, I have been fortunate to be part of championship seasons, but this one is extra special to me,” Indy Pirates first-year Head Women’s Basketball Coach Jim Turgeon said. “With all the craziness that has happened in our world over the last 12 months, this one truly touches my heart.”
After blowing out Dodge City, 65-40, at home in the first round, the #DreamU Pirates hosted one more tournament game with the Seward Saints, who had edged out Indy early in the season, 93-91. Despite trailing early to the fast-paced Saints, the Pirates roared back in the second half and finished with a dominant 28-14 fourth quarter to avenge the earlier meeting with a 70-61 postseason triumph.
Indy Women’s Basketball then travelled to Wichita, Kansas, to compete in the KJCCC Final 4 in the Garvey Center at Friends University. In their first match-up in Wichita, the Pirates faced off in a showdown with the tournament’s overall No. 1 seed, the Hutchinson Blue Dragons. Indy had upset Hutch early in the season at the ICC Field House, which notched the Pirates’ first regular season win over the Blue Dragons since the 2006-07 season and the first win over them in the ICC Field House since 1999.
Despite wanting revenge against Indy, the Hutch offense was smothered early by a suffocating Pirate defense, which held the Blue Dragons to only 19 first-half points. After three quarters, the Pirates led 57-32 and later finished the game with six total defensive kills (three defensive stops in a row) to complete a 75-56 victory over the Blue Dragons and earn themselves a spot in the Jayhawk Conference Championship game.
In the championship, the Indy Pirates went to war with the Barton Cougars, who had upset No. 2 seed Butler in their semifinal game. Barton was the 2020 Jayhawk Conference Runner-Up after losing last year’s championship game to Butler.
The contest was hotly contested from the opening tip-off with both teams trading leads early, before the Pirates jumped to a 39-29 halftime advantage. However, determined to settle unfinished business from last season’s championship game loss, Barton rallied back furiously in the second half and even took the lead late in the third quarter, 49-48, before ICC reclaimed the lead with one final bucket to end the period.
With a conference and region championship on the line, along with a NJCAA National Championship Tournament berth, the Pirates and Cougars battled to the bitter end. In the final minute of the game, Barton had two offensive possessions with a chance to tie the game or take the lead, but was stopped on both attempts by the Indy defense. The Pirates then knocked down four consecutive free-throws to win, 67-61, and secure their first NJCAA Region VI Jayhawk Conference Championship in a quarter century.
“To have 13 players and a new coaching staff of three coaches who all came together for the first time and accomplish this is truly amazing,” Coach Turgeon said. “Now we get to go the NJCAA National Tournament and compete at the highest level of junior college basketball. We get to show what we can do one last time.”
Indy Pirates Women’s Basketball now takes the road to nationals with a 20-6 overall record.
For the 2021 NJCAA National Championship Tournament, ICC will travel to Lubbock, Texas, as the No. 23 seed. The Pirates will play their opening round game against No. 10 Wabash Valley College from Illinois. The Warriors finished their season 20-3 (15-0 Conference).
“Jim Turgeon is one of the most respected coaches in the country,” Wabash Valley Head Coach Luke Scheidecker said about the upcoming game. “And the Jayhawk Conference is one of the toughest leagues in the nation.”
Tip-off between Indy and Wabash is scheduled for Monday, April 19, at 4:00PM CT. Tournament games will be televised on the NJCAA Network.
