East Peoria, Ill.---The ICC women's basketball team will see their first action in Ramsey Gym of the 2021-22 season as they host the Cougar Classic on Friday and Saturday, November 12-13. On Friday, Title IX will be celebrated and on Saturday the Cougars will welcome back all alumni.
All four teams in the Classic---Grand Rapids, ICC, Kirkwood, and Parkland were NJCAA National Tourney Qualifiers in 2021 and three of the four teams are currently ranked in the NJCAA poll---#3 Kirkwood (3-0), #4 ICC (1-2), and #6 Parkland (2-0). All four games will be livestreamed on the ICC Cougars Athletics YouTube Channel. The schedule is as follows:
Fri, Nov. 12
5:30 pm - #3 Kirkwood vs. #6 Parkland
7:30 pm - #4 ICC vs. Grand Rapids
Sat, Nov. 13
12:00 pm - #6 Parkland v. Grand Rapids
2:00 pm - #4 ICC vs. #3 Kirkwood
On Friday night, Title IX will be celebrated as this upcoming season is the 50th anniversary of the monumental amendment that was enacted into law on June 23, 1972 by President Richard Nixon. The law reads "No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance." ICC has been a leader in promoting women's sports, having started their women's basketball program in 1969 under Hall of Fame coach Lorene Ramsey. Ramsey is in eleven Halls of Fame for her role as one of most successful coaches in any realm of women's basketball and being a Title IX pioneer.
Saturday will be Alumni Day with all Cougar women's basketball alumni to be recognized at halftime of the 2:00 pm ICC/Kirkwood contest. The Cougars and Eagles have combined for 13 national titles between them and Kirkwood coach Kim Muhl and Ramsey had fierce battles dating back to the 1990's. Ramsey will be in attendance for recognition.
Game notes: Friday's 5:30 pm game between Kirkwood and Parkland will pit KCC coach Kim Muhl against his former player, now-Parkland head coach Allie Lindemann. Lindemann and Muhl teamed up to win two of Kirkwood's seven national championships in 2007 and 2008, which ironically were played in Ramsey Gym.
Saturday's Kirkwood and ICC game will be a rematch from the NJCAA National Tourney quarterfinals from April 22, 2021 where #8 seeded ICC upended the #1 seeded Eagles, 51-40. The Cougars finished with a 4th place finish while the Eagles took fifth in Hickory, NC.
