Eagles claim eighth national title
PORT HURON, MI.- Kirkwood (IA) captured its eighth 2022 NJCAA Division II Women's Basketball Championship title after defeating seventh-seeded Morton (IL) 49-44 at the SC4 Fieldhouse on Saturday.
The 2022 championship marks the Eagles' 20th national tournament appearance, all under head coach Kim Muhl. This year also marked the tenth time the Eagles have appeared in the championship game, now holding an 8-2 record in the title match.
The Eagles are fourth in NJCAA women's basketball among all three divisions in tournament appearances and are tied for first with the most championship victories.
Kirkwood was dominant in the paint
The Eagles gained an early 6-5 lead thanks to their lone three-pointer of the game by Tati Hodges-Johnson, but the Panthers made a late first-quarter push and were up 13-8 at the end of the first quarter.
Both teams were about even in the second quarter, as Morton held a 26-22 lead at halftime. Three consecutive buckets in the third quarter gave Kirkwood a temporary lead, but the Panthers fiercely fought back and regained the lead, pushing it to seven points by the end of the third quarter.
Tasia Jordan took over the entire game in the fourth quarter. After Karsyn Stratton made it a three-point game, Jordan would score 15 consecutive points for the Eagles, going on a 15-2 run in that span which forced a timeout by the Panthers. Morton responded with two threes of its own, cutting the deficit to two, 46-44. Kirkwood would hold them scoreless and seal the championship victory.
Eagles route to victory
Kirkwood concluded the season atop the rankings and subsequently entered the tournament as the top seed.
In the quarterfinal round, the Eagles knocked off eighth-seeded North Central Missouri 72-49 to advance to the championship semifinal.
Kirkwood then advanced to the national title game after defeating fifth-seeded Bryant & Stratton (WI) 69-41, heavily outrebounding the Bobcats, 51-24.
Panthers finish as Runner-up
The 2022 NJCAA DII Women's Basketball Championship marked the 2nd national tournament appearance in school history for Morton.
The Panthers qualified for the national championship tournament after winning their district last season, but were unable to compete due to Covid-19.
In his first full season at the helm of the Panthers' program, head coach Jason Nichols coached Morton to a 30-3 final record in 2022. The Panthers were on a 26-game winning streak prior to the final loss to Kirkwood.
Morton had arguably the hardest route to the championship, having to face and ultimately defeat No. 2 Johnson County and (previously undefeated) No. 3 CCBC Essex. Tadriana Heard, Dylan Van Fleet, and Mia Simpson were all named to the All-Tournament Team for their efforts throughout the championship.
Morton upset No. 2 Johnson County and No. 3 CCBC Essex in the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds, respectively. The seventh-seeded Panthers turned many heads in just its second appearance.
Taking home some hardware
Kirkwood's Tasia Jordan was named the Most Valuable Player of the 2021-22 NJCAA DII Women's Basketball Championship. The freshman forward averaged 13.5 points over four games, including scoring 21 points against Bryant & Stratton (WI) in the semifinals and 16 total (15 consecutive) points in the championship game against Morton.
Kirkwood landed two other student-athletes on the All-Tournament team: Ashley Tull and Kortney Drake.
The All-Tournament team also included Patricia Anumgba, CCBC Essex; Lyric Swann, CCBC Essex; Teya Maas, Bryant & Stratton (WI); Nora Ford, North Central Missouri; Cierra McNamee, Illinois Central; Kierra Prim, Johnson County.
