M. McNair finishes season at Briar Cliff with loss in NAIA round of eight

    Mallie McNair joined the basketball team at Briar Cliff University in the fall of 2023. McNair originally went to the University of Nebraska-Kearney in the fall of 2020.
    After sitting out her freshman year due to the pandemic,  McNair red-shirted in the 21-22 season. McNair played one year for UNL-Kearney as a red-shirt freshman in  22-23.
    In just her sophomore year of eligibility, McNair transferred to play basketball for the Briar Cliff Chargers for the 23-24 season and had a very successful year.
    McNair received the player of the week award from GPAC/Hauff Mid-America Sports, when she averaged 21 points, shot 53 percent from the field and 46 percent from  three point range, leading the ninth ranked Chargers in wins over Morningside and Mount Marty. She also had five assists, three steals and seven rebounds.
    The Chargers made the NAIA National Tournament last week. With wins over Mid America Christian University, 81-67, Vanguard University, 69-68 and Indiana Tech, 78-52, the Chargers faced Dordt University in the round of eight.
    Despite McNair being the leading scorer in the game with 27 points, Dordt knocked them from the tournament, winning the game 62-65 and bringing the Charger season to an end.
    McNair played all 40 minutes of the game. She hit 9 of 15 shots, including three 3-pointers, had six rebounds, one block and two steals. She averaged 14 points per game for the year and played in all 26 games.
    McNair is the daughter of Alex and Kristi McNair of Imperial.