LINCOLN, Ne. - The Coe College men's basketball team ended the regular season with a 79-62 victory over Nebraska Wesleyan on Saturday afternoon, securing a tie for second place in the A-R-C final regular-season standings. Coe jumped out to a three-point lead in the first half and turned on the gas in the second, outscoring Nebraska Wesleyan 44-30 in the second to pick up the victory. Sophomore guard Cael Schmitt scored a career-high 34 points in the game, shooting 13-of-20 from the floor and 6-of-10 from downtown. Coe, which earned the third seed in the A-R-C tournament, finishes the year with a 19-6 overall record and an 11-5 record in the A-R-C. 
 
Schmitt, who added five assists, three steals, one block and one assist was joined by senior forward Jarad Kruse in double-figures as the Oskaloosa native scored 21 points. Kruse pulled down a team-high eight boards, pitching in with four assists on offense. Sam Auen attempted just five shots in the game but was third on the team with eight points, hitting two of his three 3-point attempts. 
 
COE 79 - NEBRASKA WESLEYAN 62
Game Facts

• Nebraska Wesleyan was on fire to open the game, scoring seven-straight points to grab the lead. The Kohawks answered right back, ripping off a 12-2 run over the next three minutes to grab a three-point advantage 5:35 seconds into the game. Kruse and Schmitt had five points during the stretch while Ray Thrapp added a layup. 
• The game was back and forth during the next four-plus minutes as both teams scored 14 points during the span. The seesawing action remained for the final seven minutes of the half, with both teams struggling to find the mark offensively. Coe and NWU tallied seven points before the end of the half but Coe led 35-32 at the break. 
• The teams continued to trade blows to open the second half, but seven early points from Schmitt and two points from Auen allowed Coe to edge NWU 9-8 in the first 2:22. The Kohawks grabbed control during the next five-plus minutes, using a 13-6 burst to extend their lead to 11 with 10 minutes to play. Schmitt had another five points during the run, including a 3 while Kruse pitched in with fourth points. 
• NWU stayed in touch during the next five minutes of the half, outscoring Coe 12-9 during the span to trim the lead back to eighth with just over five minutes to play. The Kohawks secured the victory with a dominant 9-1 run over a 2:12 period. Schmitt added another seven points, hitting two jumpers and one 3 during the spurt to push Coe into a comfortable position for the remainder of the contest. 

Up next: Coe will open A-R-C tournament action on Tuesday evening as the third seed, playing Nebraska Welseyan at Kohawk Arena at 7 PM. 
 
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