Ottumwa, IA – For the 21st time in program history, the Indian Hills Men's Basketball team punched its ticket to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) DI Men's Basketball National Championship with an 80-75 win over Dawson Community College (MT) Saturday night at the Hellyer Center. The Warriors captured the 2026 NJCAA North Central District Championship with the win.
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The Warriors secured the program's 19th all-time District title to earn one of the 16 automatic bids to the upcoming NJCAA DI Men's Basketball National Championship in Hutchinson, KS. The Warriors have now earned a trip to the national tournament in five consecutive seasons, the second-longest streak in program history.
Indian Hills used a quick start to surge past the Bucs before holding off a late rally to cut down the nets once again at the Hellyer Center. A 15-point halftime advantage for Indian Hills proved to be too much for Dawson to overcome as the Warriors toppled the Bucs for the fourth time in a District championship bout.
Sophomore Taj Au-Duke (Toronto, Canada/Pepperdine) led the way for the Warriors with 17 points and six rebounds while fellow sophomore Chaz Watson (Kansas City, MO/Cleveland State) came off the bench to pour in 16 points while knocking down four three-point shots. Ater Manyuon (Austin, MN/We Are United Prep) chipped in 11 points while KJ LaMonte (Davenport, IA/New Mexico Highlands) added 10 points and five assists for the Warriors.
KJ with the block ➡️ Chaz with the trey
— Indian Hills Basketball (@ihccbasketball) March 15, 2026
Warriors got the Hellyer Center rockin' on a Saturday night.#WarriorNation pic.twitter.com/7EbYlcMClo
The Bucs, who entered Saturday night's affair averaging 91.0 points, the ninth-most in the NJCAA this season, were held to its third-lowest scoring output of the year with the 75 against the Warriors. Dawson's 39.1 field goal percentage on Saturday night is also the third-lowest mark of the year for the Bucs.
The Warriors managed to win the battle of ball control on Saturday night, tying a season-low total with just eight turnovers. Indian Hills used a 40-30 scoring advantage in the paint to hold off the Bucs.
Dawson put together a valiant effort in the opening stages of the first half, taking a 12-8 lead in the initial moments of the contest. Freshman Xavier Wilson (Kansas City, MO/Staley) strung together a pair of buckets before Watson caught fire from beyond the arc to give Indian Hills a double-digit advantage to close out the first half. The Warriors went into the intermission with a 49-34 edge.
The Warriors continued to push to open the second half and led by as many as 23. Despite a sizeable disadvantage, Dawson managed to claw its way back late in the second frame. Indian Hills' lead was cut to three with just under two minutes to play, but six consecutive free throws, paired with a late block from Watson, powered the Warriors to the victory.
The Warriors will now await its official seed and future opponents for the upcoming national tournament. Indian Hills will learn its fate on Monday, March 16 at 5:00 PM CST with the official NJCAA Selection Show.
Fans can watch the selection show live via the NJCAA Network
The NJCAA DI Men's Basketball National Championship gets underway March 21 at the Hutchinson Sports Arena in Hutchinson, KS.
NEW YEAR - WHAT TO KNOW
Fans can keep up the Indian Hills Basketball squad all year long through a number of ways:
- X (formerly Twitter): @IHCCAthletics | @IHCCBasketball
- Facebook: Indian Hills Athletics | Indian Hills Basketball
- Instagram: @IHCCAthletics | @IHCCBasketball
- Youtube: Indian Hills Athletics
- Website: www.indianhillsathletics.com
- Catch up with the history of Indian Hills Men's Basketball: Indian Hills Men's Basketball Record Book
- All home games are played at Hellyer Student Life Center on the Indian Hills - Ottumwa campus
HOW TO WATCH
As always, GoHillsTV provides free live broadcasts of all Indian Hills Men's Basketball home, away, and postseason games. Fans can tune in a number of ways all season long:
- GoHillsTV App: Download the Iowa Media Network app on your android or ios device and navigate to the GoHillsTV section
- Website: https://www.iowamedianetwork.com/gohillstv to catch all live and archived information
- Roku Streaming Device (new): Have a Roku TV or streaming stick? Download the GoHillsTV app to start streaming today!
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