MASON CITY - The road to the national tournament for the Kirkwood  women's basketball tournament will probably run through Mason City.

And that's not especially good news for Kirkwood.

The second-ranked Eagles lost to top-ranked NIACC, 85-64, in their  conference showdown in Mason City Saturday and now NIACC has clinched  the No. 1 seed for the regional.

Only one team from the Iowa regional will make the NJCAA Division II  national tournament, which means Kirkwood might have to return to  Mason City in a few weeks and try to beat NIACC in a rematch on their  home floor for a coveted trip to nationals.

Kirkwood enjoyed an early 16-6 lead Saturday, but the Eagles got into  foul trouble and trailed 46-34 at halftime. They never caught up.

NIACC pumped in fifteen 3-pointers compared to only three for Kirkwood.

Kemara Watson and Paige Bradford scored 12 points apiece for Kirkwood  (25-3, 12-2). Autam Mendez scored 20 points for NIACC (27-1, 14-0).

NIACC has a two-game lead over Kirkwood in the league standings with  two games left in the regular season, but NIACC has swept both games  from the Eagles and owns the tiebreaker for the No. 1 seed in the  regional even if they both finish with 14-2 league marks.

KIRKWOOD (64): Paige Bradford 4-7 4-8 12, Tatiana Hodges-Johnson 0-2  3-4 3, Ju Gaston 2-6 5-6 10, Amara Lipsey 3-6 0-0 8, Marissa Metz 0-2  2-3 2, Delani Harris 0-4 7-7 7, Jheda Kennedy 0-4 2-2 2, Kortney Drake  0-2 0-0 0, Addison Rath 0-3 2-2 2, Natalie Tomaszewski 2-5 2-2 6,  Kemara Watson 6-10 0-0 12. Totals 17-51 27-34 64.

NIACC (85): Sierra Lynch 0-5 2-4 2, Sanaa Smith 4-9 2-2 13, Kelcie  Hale 4-12 4-5 14, Autam Mendez 6-16 5-5 20, Sierra Morrow 6-12 5-5 18,  Miyah Walker 0-0 0-0 0, Allie Negen 2-4 0-0 6, Andrea Gray 3-6 0-0 9,  Shinaana Secody 0-2 0-0 0, Abby Leach 0-3 0-0 0, Sydney Wetlaufer 1-4  0-0 3, Brooke Heisler 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-74 18-21 85.

Halftime - NIACC 46, Kirkwood 34. 3-point goals - Kirkwood 3-12  (Gaston 1-1, Lipsey 2-4, Harris 0-2, Kennedy 0-2, Drake 0-1, Rath 0-1,  Tomaszewski 0-1), NIACC 15-48 (Lynch 0-2, Smith 3-6, Hale 2-10, Mendez  3-10, Morrow 1-4, Negen 2-4, Gray 3-5, Secody 0-2, Leach 0-1,  Wetlaufer 1-4).