HICKORY, N.C. - To say Nevaeh Galloway was excited to get back on the court would be an understatement.

Galloway, a former standout at Minnehaha Academy who helped the team place third as an eighth-grade at state, spent her first season of college basketball sidelined with an injury at Bemidji State.

When she arrived at Iowa Central, changes in the schedule left her waiting to hit the court again until January. 

But things did not go smoothly for Galloway.

"In the beginning, I was still a little hesitant because I was still having pain," she said. "I had a small procedure during Thanksgiving break and after that, my body felt better than it ever has before."

Galloway and the Tritons are set to compete Thursday night in the quarterfinals of the NJCAA Div. II Tournament.

During the regular season, Galloway earned ICCAC Defensive Player of the Year honors after leading all NJCAA players with 77 blocked shots. She averaged 12 points and nearly eight rebounds per game, ranking seventh in defensive rebounds and 23rd overall in boards.

"I felt (like my old self) after the first game vs. NIACC," Galloway said. "I was nervous going into the game, but once I was out there, I felt like a better version of myself when I was playing. My team helped me feel comfortable on the court so I went with it.

"I give a lot of credit to my teammates. If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't have felt so comfortable."

Iowa Central has won eight of its last nine, including a victory over Des Moines Area to secure the regional title. That run came after starting the season 4-7 with several close setbacks.

"After the Kirkwood game, we all sat in the locker room and realized we did not want to be that team that was losing," Galloway said. "I think after that, we all had a different mindset going into practice and games. Since I've just seen us be more determined on and off the court."

Galloway said playing in the national tournament has her "beyond excited."

"Being able to go to a national tournament my first year back is amazing," she said. "I am looking forward to playing nad getting to experience this with my teammates in North Carolina and hopefully coming home with some hardware."

-By Dana Becker