Top seeds Morton, Rock Valley hold court to win Region 4 championships
ROCKFORD, ILL - The two top seeds entering the 2024 NJCAA Region 4 Division II Tournaments showed why as Morton College and Rock Valley College won the Midwest District A and Midwest District B championships, respectively. The Panthers secured their fourth consecutive region title with a resounding 102-59 defeat of #4-seeded Carl Sandburg College, while the Golden Eagles got past #6-seeded Oakton College with an 84-79 decision on RVC's home floor. Morton's Nariah Clay and Rock Valley's Mia Moore were named the Region 4 Tournament Most Valuable Players, while Jeff Bambule of the Panthers and Darryl Watkins of RVC earned Region 4 Coach of the Year accolades. (Recaps: Morton | Rock Valley)
Top-seeded Morton College maintained its dominance over the region with a 93-54 quarterfinal rout of #16-seed Elgin Community College, and then rolled to a 99-63 victory over #8-seed Prairie State College in the semifinals. The Panthers saw six players, including four off the bench, score in double-figures against the Chargers (23-10) in the championship. Alex Stewart led all players with 18 points, ten rebounds, and seven assists. Shanihya Brown posted 17 points, Sophia Remmel added 13 points, and Brynne Katcher registered nine points and 11 rebounds as the trio joined Clay on the All-Tournament Team.
Second-seeded Rock Valley College also began postseason play with a pair of easy wins, taking down #15-seed McHenry County College with a 94-68 decision before dismantling #10-seed Black Hawk College with an 87-48 score in the semifinals. The undefeated Golden Eagles found themselves behind midway through the tournament finale against Oakton College, trailing 46-41 at halftime. A 23-13 disparity in the third quarter provided the difference as RVC rallied from behind and then held off the Owls (23-6) to claim their first Division II championship in the region. Moore racked up 24 points, and was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Carly LaMay (10 points), Maya Mitchell (9 points), and Bri Davis (6 points).
Morton College (30-3) and Rock Valley College (33-0) earned automatic berths into the 2024 NJCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championships in Joplin, Missouri, from March 18-23. The Panthers, who finished national runner-up in 2022, were awarded the tournament's #7 seed and will open on Tuesday, March 19 with a second round game against #10-seed Harcum College (26-5). The Golden Eagles are one of two teams without a loss in the field, and will start as the #3 seed with a second round contest against #14-seed Mid-Michigan College (29-1) on March 19. The final NJCAA Division II Poll listed RVC at #3 and Morton College at #7.
2024 Region 4 Division II All-Tournament Teams
2024 Region 4 Division II (Midwest District A) All-Tournament Team
Nariah Clay - Morton College
Shaniya Brown - Morton College
Brynne Katcher - Morton College
Sophia Remmel - Morton College
Elly Bentley - Carl Sandburg College
Kelci Shelton - Carl Sandburg College
2024 Region 4 Division II (Midwest District A) Tournament MVP
Nariah Clay - Morton College
2024 Region 4 Division II (Midwest District A) Coach of the Year
Jeff Bambule - Morton College
2024 Region 4 Division II (Midwest District B) All-Tournament Team
Mia Moore - Rock Valley College
Maya Mitchell - Rock Valley College
Carly LeMay - Rock Valley College
Bri Davis - Rock Valley College
Macey Gandee - Oakton College
Bryce Wolf - Oakton College
2024 Region 4 Division II (Midwest District B) Tournament MVP
Mia Moore - Rock Valley College
2024 Region 4 Division II (Midwest District B) Coach of the Year
Darryl Watkins - Rock Valley College
(Images courtesy of Morton College Athletics & Rock Valley College Athletics)