CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The Coe College men's basketball team fended off a late rally from Millikin University on Wednesday evening to secure a 77-73 victory over the Big Blue. The Kohawks led by double-digits at the half but Millikin fought back numerous times in the second half and got within one point with 1:14 remaining. Coe then extended the lead to three following a timeout as senior
Ray Thrapp scored on a nice move in the post with 46 seconds. Millikin had a few chances to tie the game on the ensuing possession but a key defensive stop and one free throw from
Cael Schmitt secured the victory. The win is Coe's third straight and moves the Kohawks to 11-2 overall while Millikin falls to 6-6 on the season.
Jarad Kruse was one-point shy of his season-high in the win, posting 26 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks to register his second double-double of the year. The senior was 9-of-12 from the floor and 2-of-3 from downtown while hitting on six of his eight free throws.
Sam Auen also had a solid offensive game, scoring 13 points while knocking down both of his 3-point attempts. Schmitt scored just three points in the game but guided the Kohawk offense, racking up nine assists in his 33 minutes of action.
Jacob Robertson was the third player to reach double-figures for Coe, scoring 11 points on 4-of-8 from the floor.
COE 77 - MILLIKIN 73
Game Facts
- Millikin and Coe traded baskets to start the game however a 3 from the visitors on the next possession gave it an early 5-2 advantage. The Kohawks settled into the contest, using a 9-2 stretch over the next few minutes to grab an 11-7 lead five minutes into the game. The Big Blue stopped the run with a dunk on the offensive end but Coe continued to stretch the lead, scoring eight of the next 10 points to take a double-digit lead at 19-9.
- The squads traded blows for the next five minutes of the game as Coe continued to maintain its lead but a layup from Sam Auen kick-started another spurt for the Kohawks. Following Auen's layup, Coe took control of the contest, outscoring Millikin 9-4 over the next 2:27 to lead 36-19. The visitors had a strong end to the first period, scoring eight of the final nine points of the frame to cut the deficit to just 10 points after 20 minutes.
- The squads continued to trade punches early in the second half however a pair of 3s from Auen and Jacob Robertson allowed Coe to regain a 49-37 with 14:06 to play. The Big Blue refused to quit, ripping off a 9-4 run to slice the lead to just seven points with 11:29 remaining. Despite the effort from the visitors the Kohawks stayed calm, getting back-to-back buckets from Cael Schmitt and TJ Schnurr to retake an 11-point lead just past the midway point of the second.
- Millikin again clawed its way back into the game, getting an 8-4 run to close the gap to seven while forcing Coe to take a timeout with 6:39 left in the contest. The Big Blue cut further into Coe's lead out of the break, scoring four-straight points to make it a five-point game at 63-58. The Kohawks answered in a big way on their next possession as Auen converted a four-point play, hitting a 3 while also drawing a foul on the play to put Coe ahead 67-58.
- The Big Blue continued to battle, getting five quick points to put the pressure back on the hosts who held a 67-63 advantage with 3:38 to play. Million closed the gap even further before the one-minute mark of the half, going on a 10-3 run to cut the lead to just one at 74-73 and forcing Coe into another timeout. Ray Thrapp came up clutch for Coe after the timeout, losing his defender on a beautiful fake and scoring a layup to put his team back up three points. The Kohawks saw out the remainder of the contest thanks to a free throw from Schmitt and some solid defense to keep the Big Blue scoreless down the stretch.
Up next: The Kohawks will return to the floor following the Christmas and New Year holidays on Wednesday, January 5 with an A-R-C matchup against the University of Dubuque at Kohawk Arena.
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