Men's Basketball

BAYLESS NAMED ICCAC ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

BAYLESS NAMED ICCAC ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Posted: Feb 09, 2022

Ottumwa, IA – For the fourth consecutive week, an Indian Hills Men's Basketball student-athlete has been named the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) Athlete of the Week. Braxton Bayless (Ankeny, IA /Ankeny), this week's recipient, has flourished in his second year with the Warriors, most recently making a buzzer-beater to stun No. 7 Southeastern Community College on Feb. 6 in West Burlington.

Bayless' success last week wasn't just tied to the shot vs. Southeastern. Facilitating the Warriors' offense throughout the week, Bayless led the team in assists and free throw percentage. In a commanding win over Marshalltown Community College, Bayless shot 3-4 from the field and chipped in with three rebounds and three assists in the 96-61 win at the Hellyer Center. In the thrilling win over Southeastern, Bayless scored 14 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and dished out three assists.

Prior to the buzzer-beater against the Blackhawks, Bayless was already performing at a high level at Loren Walker Arena. The sophomore kept Indian Hills within striking distance down the stretch by shooting 9-10 from the free throw line. Bayless' game-winning three-point shot from 30-feet at the buzzer clinched the win for the Warriors and earned home court advantage in the upcoming National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XI Tournament.

On the season, Bayless is averaging 9.1 points per game, 3.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. Bayless also boasts a team-high 86.0 percent clip from the free throw line.

Preceding Bayless in conference Athlete of the Week was J'Vonne Hadley (St. Paul, MN / Northeastern) who earned the award in the three consecutive weeks prior to Bayless.

Indian Hills will play at Kankakee Community College (IL) on Feb 12. The Warriors will also host North Central Missouri Community College on Feb. 19 and Triton Community College (IL) on Feb 19, wrapping up the regular season. With the win over Southeastern, Indian Hills has secured an NJCAA Region XI Championship game berth and will host the winner of Southeastern and Marshalltown on Feb. 26 at the Hellyer Center.