The Southeast Community College women’s basketball team has advanced to the National Junior College Athletic Association District F title game in Ironwood, Michigan, where the Storm will take on Gogebic Community College on Saturday, March 10.

“We have four sophomores who are good leaders and hard workers,” said Lynn Schlake, Storm head coach. “We have a different group of players every year, and this year they seem to mesh really well.”

The Storm, 12-18, beat Central Community College 83-57 in the Region IX Tournament in Beatrice on March 5 to advance to the district championship. SCC has won three straight games and finished 5-1 in the Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Schlake says his team’s strengths are three-point shooting and getting to the free-throw line. SCC averages seven made 3s per game and attempts an average of 23 free throws per game, shooting 67 percent.

Seven players on the Storm roster are from Nebraska.

“The Nebraska girls bring a fan base and energy to our games,” Schlake said. “We had great support from the community this year.”

Four players average in double figures. DeAsia Walker, sophomore from Las Vegas, averages nearly 12 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Erika Goracke, a sophomore from Sterling, averages 11.6 points per game. Marcia Hawkins, a sophomore from Las Vegas, averages 11.3 points and a team-leading 6.6 rebounds per contest. Sophomore guard Sebit Gatluak from DesMoines, Iowa, averages 10.3 points per game. Freshmen Morgan Frauendorfer from Humphrey and Madison Hajek from Diller each average 8.4 points per game.

The Storm has won some postseason awards, including Schlake being named Region IX Coach of the Year. Players who earned spots on the All-Region IX Team are Goracke, Walker and Gatluak. Walker, Gatluak and Hawkins earned spots on the All-Region IX Tournament Team.

A win Saturday would advance the Storm to the Division II National Tournament March 20-24 at North Arkansas College in Harrison, Arkansas.