CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The Coe College men's basketball team picked up a crucial 70-63 victory over Nebraska Wesleyan in its final regular season game of the year on Saturday. The Kohawks honored their seniors
Greg Hall and
Boston Ferrie prior to the game and did not disappoint, clinching the sixth seed in next week's American Rivers Conference Tournament. Coe and NWU battled back-and-forth throughout the game, trading scoring runs in both halves. The Kohawks got a 9-4 run midway through the opening half that proved to be the difference in the first 20 minutes, as the hosts led 38-30 at the break. NWU responded in the first few minutes of the second, scraping back to within two points of Coe's lead midway through the frame. The Kohawks then put together a dominant 15-2 stretch, pulling away from the Prairie Wolves in just over four minutes of action. NWU refused to give in despite trailing by 15 with less than five minutes to play, clawing its way to within two possessions of Coe's lead with 38 seconds to play. The Kohawks hung on in the final moments, converting some clutch free throws while keeping Nebraska Wesleyan away from the basket.
TJ Schnurr continued his strong close to the campaign, leading Coe with 17 points and five rebounds, while chipping in with two assists, one block and one steal.
Greg Hall celebrated his senior night with a double-digit effort, finishing second on the squad with 15 points on 5-of-11 shooting.
Cael Schmitt was the third Kohawk to hit double figures, posting 12 points, four boards and three dimes in 34 minutes of action. The victory moves Coe to 13-12 overall and 7-9 in the A-R-C while Nebraska Wesleyan ends the regular season 16-9 and 11-5 in the league.
GAME FACTS:
COE 70 - NWU 63
- Coe had a strong start to the game, opening with eight unanswered points in the first two-plus minutes. NWU settled in, getting its first points with a layup at the 17:36 mark. The hosts continued to click, owning the following few possessions while edging the visitors 5-0. The Prairie Wolves responded during the next three minutes of action, getting a 7-3 run to cut the Kohawk lead to just seven with 13 minutes left in the half.
- Schmitt led the Kohawks on another charge over the course of the next 2:46, helping his team outscore the opponents 8-2 with a pair of 3s from the point guard. The Prairie Wolves buckled down before the end of the period, ripping off a 16-7 outburst to pull within four points in the waning minutes. Coe put together a 7-3 run in the final two-plus minutes, pushing its lead back to eight as the hosts led 38-30 after one.
- The Kohawks put their foot on the pedal in the opening three minutes of the second, outscoring NWU 6-2 to push the lead to double figures. The Prairie Wolves came to life during the next five minutes, putting together a dominant 14-4 spurt to claw back to within two of Coe's lead. The visitors shot 5-of-8 during the run and held the hosts to just four field goal attempts and three turnovers.
- The game of runs continued during the next moment of the game as Coe dominated a four-plus minute stretch. The Kohawks got a dominant run from Schnurr and Schmitt who combined to lead the squad on a 15-2 run, stretching the hosts lead back to 15. NWU made one final push before the end of the game, scoring 11 unanswered points to close the gap to four with 59 seconds left. Coe saw out the final minute of action, getting some clutch free throws and defensive possessions to clinch a spot in the A-R-C Tournament.
Up next: The Kohawks, who earned the sixth seed in the A-R-C Postseason Tournament, will take on Nebraska Welseyan at 7 PM on Tuesday, February 21 in Lincoln.
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