CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The Coe College men's basketball team earned a 73-64 victory over Loras College on Wednesday evening in its American Rivers Conference home opener. The Kohawks trailed 31-25 at the end of one period as the hosts were 0-of-7 from deep in the first period but Coe outscored Loras 48-33 in the second half to secure the victory. The second half saw the Kohawks shoot 62.5 percent from the floor and 55.6 percent from beyond the arc while holding the Duhawks to just 14.3 percent from 3. The victory, which is Coe's third straight, moves it 8-1 overall and 2-0 in the league while Loras suffers its first defeat of the season and falls to 5-1 and 1-1 in the A-R-C. 
 
Four Kohawks reached double-figures in the victory as seniors Jarad Kruse and Ray Thrapp led the way with 16 points while Thrapp added 11 boards for his second double-double of the season. Cael Schmitt was in control of the Coe offense, registering 14 points and five assists in the contest while committing just one turnover in 31 minutes of game time. Sam Auen also reached the double-digit mark, scoring 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting including a pair of clutch 3s. Jacob Robertson added solid production from the starting lineup, posting nine points, seven boards, one steal and one block while shooting 4-of-9 from the field. 
 
COE 73 - LORAS 64 
Game Facts

• Coe got on the board first thanks to a layup from Jacob Robertson but Loras answered with back-to-back baskets to take an early 5-2 lead. The teams battled for a nearly five-minute stretch as Loras outscored Coe 9-7 during the frame to extend its lead to five with just under 13 minutes to play in the first. The hosts answered back, using an 8-2 spurt to flip the switch and take their first lead of the game at 17-16. 
• The squads continued to trade blows before the five-minute mark of the period as the Duhawks hung on to a one-point lead with 4:44 left in the frame. Loras had a strong close to the first half, ripping off a 7-2 run to grab a six-point lead heading into the break. 
• The lead evaporated immediately out of the half as the Kohawks scored the first 10 points of the period including 3s from Robertson and Sam Auen. Loras finally broke its scoreless stretch at the 17-minute mark of the period on a layup but it only momentarily stopped Coe. The Kohawks then took control of the game, using a 13-6 spurt to jump in front 48-39 with 13:16 left in the game. 
• Loras quickly fought its way back into the contest, using a 12-2 run over the next 3:22 to regain a one-point advantage with just under ten minutes to play. The teams then traded buckets for the next three-plus minutes of action as the score was tied at 58 with 6:32 left in the game. Coe grabbed control for good at this moment of the game, kick-starting a 9-2 spurt which featured three points from Kruse, Thrapp and Schmitt and the hosts took a 66-60 lead with 2:56 to play.
• The Duhawks managed to cut the lead to just four points on the ensuing possession, converting on a pair of free throws but Auen answered with a huge 3 on the next trip up the floor for Coe as he increased the lead back to seven. The Kohawks then buckled down defensively and held the Duhawks scoreless for nearly the remainder of the game while hitting a few clutch free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.

 
Up next: Coe is back in action on Saturday, December 1 when it welcomes Simpson College to Kohawk Arena for an A-R-C matchup at 4 PM. 
 
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