Johnston County Beats Parkland For NJCAA Division II Championship

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Published on March 23 2015 6:58 am
Last Updated on March 23 2015 6:58 am
Written by Millie Lange

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- With a last second shot, Johnson County (Kan.) defeated Parkland (Ill.) 66-64 for the 2015 NJCAA Division II Women’s Basketball championship. Claiming victory on their home floor, the Cavaliers won the program’s second national title and first since 2000.

Tied at 64-64 with 21 seconds left, Johnson County turned a missed shot into a positive when freshman forward Kayonna Lee earned a crucial offensive rebound. Following a timeout with 16.7 seconds left, Cavaliers freshman guard Erica Nelson found fellow freshman Alexis Brown on the right wing. Brown dribbled once to her right, then stepped back and hit a 20-foot jumper as the clock expired – sending a wave of Johnson County students onto the court.

The Cavaliers were led offensively by sophomore forward Nieka Wheeler. The forward went 5-of-14 from the field for a team-high 16 points. Wheeler connected on 2-of-4 shots from beyond the 3-point line and collected two rebounds, an assist and a steal. Lee led the team with a game-high 11 rebounds, including six on the offensive end.

Brown scored 14 points in her 21 minutes of play off the bench. Freshman guard Erica Nelson led the Cavaliers with five assists, while sophomore guard Braile Fields showed some spark on the defensive end by tying a season-high with three steals.

Turnovers made the difference for Johnson County in the victory. The Cavaliers forced the Cobras into 18 giveaways that were converted into 16 points. Depth also played a major role in the game as Johnson County’s bench outscored their Parkland counterparts 23-2.

Four Parkland starters scored in double-figures, led by a dominant performance from sophomore forward Nadine Vaughn. The forward compiled a game-high 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and a perfect 5-for-5 from the free-throw line. Cobras sophomore forward Hannah Wascher recorded a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while her freshman counterpart Chelsea Cross posted 10 points, seven assists and seven rebounds. Effingham's Josie Zerrusen contributed two points, four rebounds and three assists.