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Posted: Mar 17, 2025

Rock Valley, Lake County both secure first Region 4 Division II crowns

Rock Valley, Lake County both secure first Region 4 Division II crowns

ROCKFORD, ILL. - The 2025 version of the Region 4 Division II Women's Basketball Tournaments finished with some fresh blood at the top, as Rock Valley College and the College of Lake County claimed the Midwest District A and Midwest District B titles, respectively. The top-seeded and host Golden Eagles held off #4-seeded Black Hawk College by an 81-70 final to win their first region crown since taking the Division III championship in 2022. The #2-seeded Lancers, meanwhile, upended #6-seed Kankakee Community College with a 75-56 victory to secure the program's first-ever Region 4 title. Darryl Watkins of RVC and Tanner Morris of CLC were named Region 4 Coaches of the Year. (Recaps: Lake County)

Rock Valley College advanced through the tournament quarterfinals with wins of 86-56 over #16-seed Elgin Community College and 67-46 against #8-seed College of DuPage to reach the championship game. The Golden Eagles got off to a fast start with a 9-1 lead, and still led 22-16 after one quarter. An 8-2 surge by the Braves tied the game at 24-24, after which RVC engineered an 18-7 surge to hold a 42-31 advantage at the break. The second half saw BHC pull within three in the third quarter, and then make it a 58-56 game with 8:18 remaining. Rock Valley College closed the game with a 23-14 run for the win.

Mia Moore paced the Golden Eagles with 23 points, while three other starters, Patricia Vyborny, Sydney Carlson, and Jhanel Coleman added 13 points. Vyborny completed a double-double with ten rebounds. Kennedy Buck came off the bench to add ten points. Rock Valley College held a 50-36 edge in rebounding, a 28-18 advantage in points off turnovers, and a 14-3 differential in second chance scoring. 

The College of Lake County steamrolled its way to the championship with lopsided wins in each round. The Lancers downed #15-seed Milwaukee Area Technical College in the quarterfinals by a 93-33 final, and then defeated #10-seed Moraine Valley Community College with an 80-49 score in the semifinals. Against Kankakee, CLC scored the game's first eight points and never relinquished the lead. Up 15-10 after one quarter, the advantage grew by one to 31-25 at halftime. Despite leading by 13 midway through the third quarter, the Lancers saw the differential dip to just three at 49-46 late the period. They responded with a 24-10 scoring differential in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.

Maren McCallister led the CLC effort with 19 points, nine rebounds, and six steals, while Mariya Sisco added 17 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists. Kennedee Clark pitched in with 16 points, and Alexandria Wolff added 12. Lake County amassed 12 more rebounds and committed four fewer turnovers.

Rock Valley College and the College of Lake County both qualify for the 2025 NJCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championships in Joplin, Missouri, from March 17-22. The Golden Eagles (25-8), ranked #23 in the final NJCAA Division II Poll, earned a #17-seed in the 20-team tournament and will open with a first round game against #16-seed SUNY Niagara (27-3) at 11:00am on March 17. The winner advances to play top-seeded, top-ranked, and defending national champion Kirkwood Community College (31-0) at 11:00am on March 18, with the loser to play a consolation game on March 19 at 9:00am.  The Lancers (27-5) sit right behind RVC with the #18 seed and play at 3:00pm on March 17 against #15-seed and #22-ranked St. Clair County Community College (28-5). The first round winner moves on to square off against #2-seed and #3-ranked CCBC Essex (31-1) on March 18 at 8:00pm, while the loser gets a consolation game at 11:00am on March 19.

(Images courtesy of Rock Valley College Athletics & College of Lake County Athletics)

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