• Freshman Jaden Jefferson leads DMACC with 11 points
• Bears shoot just 32 percent and trail at halftime, 42-19
• DMACC faces Iowa Central CC in final game before Christmas break

The DMACC men's basketball team suffered a disappointing loss in dropping a 70-53 decision to Kirkwood Community College (KCC) December 15 at Cedar Rapids.

The game featured two ranked teams in the Division II poll from the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division II poll with the Bears ranked third and KCC ranked fifth.

DMACC fell to 12-2 overall and 3-1 in the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) while KCC improved to 12-1 overall and 3-1 in the ICCAC.

DMACC started slowly, committing turnovers on its first three possessions and KCC capitalized with a 6-0 lead with the game just more than two minutes old. Freshman Andrew Austin of Rock Rapids got the Bears on the board with a layup with 17 minutes, 37 seconds to go in the first half and that basket ignited a 9-0 run for a 9-6 lead with 14:16 to play in the half. KCC answered with a 12-0 run for an 18-9 lead with just less than 10 minutes to play in the half and led the rest of the way.

DMACC got within six at 21-15 but was outscored 21-4 the rest of the half as KCC took a 42-19 lead into intermission. DMACC trailed by as many as 27 points in the second half.

Freshman Jaden Jefferson of Forney, Texas, led DMACC with 11 points. Sophomore Jamal Ambrose of Apple Valley, Minn., tallied nine points and Austin and sophomores Da'Shon Fisher of Iowa City and Trevian Carson of Des Moines scored eight points apiece.

The Bears shot 32 percent from the field with 18 field goals from 56 attempts. They were 4-of-23 from three-point range and 13-of-15 from the free throw line.

KCC had a 39-27 advantage in rebounding with Carson's nine rebounds leading the Bears. Carson and Ambrose had two assists apiece and Fisher topped DMACC in steals with four.

The DMACC men's basketball team will face Iowa Central Community College (ICCC) Dec. 18 at Fort Dodge in the Bears' final game before Christmas break. ICCC is 8-5 overall and 2-2 in the ICCAC.