By Rob Beckmann
Independence, KS – After completing successful regular seasons, Independence Community College Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams have both secured postseason berths and will compete in the Men’s and Women’s KJCCC Basketball Tournaments, respectively.
“Men’s Head Coach Bill Morosco and Women’s Head Coach Jim Turgeon have both done an exemplary job of competing and winning against the highest levels of competition in NJCAA basketball this season,” ICC Athletic Director Eric Figurski said. “We are thrilled to continue the tradition of elite basketball being showcased here at Independence Community College. We’re excited to see both our Men’s and Women’s teams make deep playoff runs this postseason.”
With an 89-59 victory over Neosho on Sophomore Night in the ICC Field House, the Independence Pirates Women’s Basketball team concluded their regular season, compiling a 16-6 overall record and a 13-6 record in the Jayhawk Conference.
The Lady Pirates are projected to be either a No. 2 or No. 3 from the KJCCC East Division pending results from around the league. That seeding will determine whether ICC hosts either Dodge City or Northwest Kansas Tech out of the West Division next Monday.
“Despite it being such an usual season with COVID, our players stepped up when it counted and represented our college with class, character, and a fiery competitiveness,” said ICC Pirates Women’s Head Coach Jim Turgeon. “This team has been a blessing for me, and I can’t wait for us to now take aim at a Jayhawk Conference Tournament Championship.”
The Independence Pirates Men’s Basketball team finished their regular season on Wednesday as well, winning their Senior Night over Neosho, 93-80. For the season, the Pirates amassed a 12-9 overall record, finishing 10-9 in the Jayhawk Conference.
The ICC Men’s team earned a No. 4 seed out of the KJCCC East Division and is currently projected to host a match-up with Colby, pending results from around the league.
“Earning the right to host a home playoff game is something this team should be very proud of,” Pirates Men’s Head Coach Bill Morosco said. “Every season will have its ups and downs, but through it all, our group has performed very favorably against its peers and I’ve very excited to reward our great Pirate fans with one more home game!”
The Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams will host a double-header of Jayhawk Conference playoff basketball on Monday evening. The opening round of the playoffs will begin with the ICC Women taking the court at 5:00PM Central and the ICC Men following them at 7:00PM Central in the ICC Field House.
Limited attendance is still allowed per current league COVID restrictions. Tickets are available at IndyPirates.com.
Independence Community College (ICC) is a two-year educational institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. First established in 1925 as grades 13 and 14 of the Independence public school system, Independence Community College legally separated from the school district as its own entity which began offering college courses in the fall of 1970. Currently, ICC’s educational and support programming includes 35 programs of study for Associate of Arts and/or Science degrees, 11 programs of study for Certificate completion, Student Support Services, Upward Bound, men's and women's athletic programs and a variety of campus organizations and activities.