WAVERLY, Iowa – Wartburg men's basketball held off a tough Coe College team to win 76-72 at home on Wednesday, Jan.12 to move to 6-0 in American Rivers Conference play and 13-2 overall.
Game Summary
The contest began with high intensity on defense from both teams, resulting in baskets being hard to come by early. Neither team made it to 10 points until almost six minutes in, when a
Keagan John three-ball made the score 12-9 with 14:25 left in the half.
Wartburg went on an 8-2 run over the next five minutes, making the score 20-11, but the Kohawks would answer with a three-pointer from Jarad Kruse, who had 12 points in the first half. Another Kruse basket would bring the Wartburg lead to just two points with seven minutes left in the half.
Both teams traded baskets to finish the half, but Wartburg was able to pull away slightly behind strong first halves from
Jack Molstead and John, who had 11 and 7 points respectively to put the Knights up 39-34 at the break.
The Kohawks came out of the locker room hot from beyond the arc, making their first two attempts to regain the lead early into the second half. The Orange & Black went on a quick 8-0 run behind a layup from
Marshun Williams and threes from John and
Cade Daugherty to make the score 56-46 with over 12 minutes left.
After Wartburg controlled a majority of the second half Coe continued to fight all the way to the finish, bringing the game within seven at the five-minute mark and within six with just under three to play. The Knights were able to string together the stops they needed and hit the big shots needed to hold on to the 76-72 victory.
Wartburg's ability to defend the perimeter in the second half played a big role in the victory tonight. The Kohawks shot a blazing 54.5% from three in the first half but were reduced to a mark of 26.7% in the second half. The Orange & Black were able to use the three-ball to their advantage in the second half, making five, while shooting 38.5%. Another big factor was the Knights' bench outscoring the Kohawk bench 22-11 tonight.
Game Leaders
John led the Knights in scoring tonight with 19 points from 53.8% shooting from the field and 53.1% from downtown. The senior guard set a career-high for made threes in a game tonight with four, including a late step-back three to help seal the win. John was tied for a team-high two assists and added four rebounds defensively.
Molstead was the other key component for the Knights' offense tonight, leading the team with four assists and adding 18 points scored. The Charles City, Iowa native shot 41.2% from the field and a 40% mark from three. On the defensive end, Molstead grabbed five boards and recorded one steal.
Drew Olson had a quiet night offensively but led the Knights in rebounding with six. The senior guard tied for a team-high in steals with two and was able to add three assists and one block.
Next Time Out
The Knights are in action again on Saturday, Jan. 15 at 4 p.m. as they host Buena Vista University (8-8, 5-2 A-R-C) at Levick Arena.
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