Coon Rapids, MN:
With a court warmed up after hosting four men's MCAC Tournament games today, Anoka Ramsey Community College also hosted the Region 13A women's basketball region tournament. Day one of the women's tournament was an evening affair, with 6pm and 8pm tip-off times.
The 6pm game featured the hosts and the number one seed Anoka Ramsey taking on the 4th seed Minnesota West. A tight contest most of the way, with eight lead changes over the course of the game, the seeds ultimately proved right. In the fourth quarter, Anoka was able to distance themselves from a 60-60 deadlock and pull out the win, 85-75. They move on to the Championship game tomorrow afternoon at 5pm.
Their contest was followed at 8pm with #2 RCTC taking on #3 Minnesota State. Despite some early jostling for position, RCTC was able to build on momentum from their end-of-season run in the MCAC Southern Division to cruise to a 76 to 48 win, and a seat at the table for the NJCAA Region 13B championship.
The Region 13A championship game featured the Golden Rams of Anoka Ramsey hosting Rochester CTC. An Anoka halftime lead of 2 points (40-38) increased over the course of the 3rd and 4th periods for ARCC, and a 10 point win for the hosts allowed them to hoist the hardware and book their trip to the NJCAA National Tournament. Detailed stats information on Anoka's 76-66 championship win is available by clicking here.
The Region 13B final will take place at 5pm on Sunday, March 5th. The winner will join the Region 13B Champion and 6 other squads from around the county to compete for the NJCAA Women's Division III National Championship at the Jorgensen Athletic Complex in Utica, New York.