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Illinois Central knocks off No. 1 Lewis & Clark
Cougars reach title game in Region XXIV tourney to play No. 2 Parkland
March 7, 2009
By Journal Star staff
Reprinted with permission of the Journal Star
For the second straight year, the Illinois Central College women's basketball team knocked out top-seeded Lewis & Clark, 63-46, at Illinois College in Saturday afternoon's semifinal.
The No. 4-seeded Cougars (25-6) will take on second-seeded Parkland (27-4) at 4 p.m. Sunday for the Region XXIV title and a berth in the NJCAA Division II national tournament.
ICC, winners of eight straight and ranked 16th in the final poll, had lost, 66-63, to Lewis & Clark on Jan. 21 at Lorene Ramsey Gymnasium in the only regular season meeting between the two teams.
But for the second year in a row, ICC won when it mattered most. The Cougars upset the No. 1-ranked and top-seeded Trailblazers, 58-55, in the 2008 title game.
Ranked sixth in the final poll, Lewis & Clark (27-4) had its 13-game win streak stopped.
ICC, which came into the tournament 0-3 against the top three seeds, will look to avenge a 78-70 loss to Parkland back on Jan. 28.
The Cougars, who host the national tournament from March 18 to 21, are led in scoring by Taylor Welch's 12 points per game.
Parkland, riding a six-game win streak, finished the season ranked No. 7 in the nation.
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