CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The Coe College men's basketball team used a dominant second half to secure a 74-65 victory over Nebraska Wesleyan in the opening round of the A-R-C Tournament. Coe and NWU battled in the opening period but a strong end gave the Kohawks a four-point advantage at the break. The hosts dominated the second half en route to the victory, outscoring the Prairie Wolves 22-6 early in the period. The victory, which moves Coe into the second round of the A-R-C Postseason Tournament, improves its overall record to 20-6. 
 
Cael Schmitt scored a game-high 22 points, backing up his A-R-C Player of the Week honor with another impressive performance. The Dubuque native was 8-of-14 from the floor and 4-of-6 from deep while adding five rebounds, five assists and three steals. Jarad Kruse was second on the team with 18 points, shooting 5-of-12 from the field and 1-of-2 from deep. Kruse also pulled down a team-high 11 boards in the game, recording his fifth double-double of the year. Ray Thrapp and Jacob Robertson joined the aforementioned in double digits, scoring 16 and 11 points respectively. Thrapp was ultra-efficient in the game, shooting 7-of-10 overall and 2-of-2 from the line. 
 
COE 74 - NEBRASKA WESLEYAN 65
Game Facts

• NWU was on top in the opening few minutes of the game, scoring seven unanswered points before the 17-minute mark of the first. Schmitt got Coe on the board just a few moments later, connecting on a long-distance try after a nice pass from Thrapp. The visitors answered back with four-straight points, stretching their lead to nine points after a layup from Peter Lash. 
• Coe dominated the next five minutes of action, outscoring NWU 10-4 during the span to cut its deficit to just three points. Thrapp led Coe during the run with a team-high four points while Greg Hall hit a big 3 to keep the momentum going for the hosts. Both teams struggled to find the mark during the remaining 10-plus of the period, combining for just 16 points during the span. The Kohawks took advantage of the P-Wolves offensive woes, using a half-ending 12-4 run to grab a 24-20 lead at the break. Thrapp again led the charge with four points during the run while Robertson chipped in with a 3 just before the end of the frame. 
• The Kohawks sprinted out of the halftime break, opening the period with seven unanswered points including a big 3 from Kruse. NWU momentarily put a pause on the run with a pair of free throws but Coe stayed hot, answering with a 12-4 spurt to grab a 43-26 lead with just under 13 minutes left. 
• Nebraska Wesleyan settled in offensively around the midway point of the half, exchanging blows with Coe for the next few minutes. Despite the offensive production from the visitors Coe stayed hot, edging NWU 18-11 over the next six minutes to extend its lead to 22 points. The visitors continued to scrap during the final five-plus minutes of action but Coe handled the pressure and came away with the victory. 

 
Up next: The Kohawks stay alive in the American Rivers Conference Postseason Tournament, advancing into the second round where they will face two-seeded Buena Vista in Storm Lake on Thursday evening at 7 PM. 
 
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