DUBUQUE, Iowa - The #23 Coe College men's basketball team completed the season sweep against #25 Loras College on Wednesday evening, defeating the Duhawks 84-73 on the road in a battle of top-25 ranked teams. The Kohawks and Duhawks traded runs in the opening half, with the hosts grabbing an early lead before Coe fought back late. Loras exploded out of the halftime break, extending its one-point advantage with a 10-3 run in the opening six minutes of the half. The Kohawks flipped a switch and controlled the final 14-plus minutes of action, ripping off a 20-6 run in the next six minutes of action to take a 63-57 lead. Coe pushed its lead later in the half, using a 10-3 run to stretch the lead to 78-67 with 3:03 to play. Loras would claw back within seven of Coe's lead with 1:20 remaining but free throws and a game-clinching dunk from
John Steffen secured the win.
Cael Schmitt scored a game-high 21 points, adding three rebounds, three assist and two steals while playing 33 minutes.
TJ Schnurr played a team-high 34 minutes and was second on the team with 18 points and eight rebounds as the senior shot 6-of-10 from the floor and 2-of-4 from beyond. Steffen turned in his best performance of the year from the bench, posting a season-best 14 points and three boards.
Bennett Sherry was Coe's final player in double figures, adding 11 points, two rebounds, two steals and one block.
#23 COE 84 - #25 LORAS 73
GAME FACTS
- The high-paced tempo began from the opening whistle, with the teams combining for 16 points in the first three-plus minutes. Loras took the first real lead, getting back-to-back-to-back 3s from Jackson Molstead to take a 16-9 advantage with 15:13 left in the half. Coe responded over the following phase, answering with a 9-5 run to cut the deficit to three. Josh Schloe led the run, scoring five points including an old-fashioned 3-point play to make it 21-18. The teams traded buckets for the next four minutes, each scoring seven points on three field goals. Coe continued to claw its way back, grabbing its first lead since early on with a 7-2 spurt to pull ahead 32-30. Loras put together the next run, scoring seven unanswered points in just 1:29 of game time to regain a 37-32 lead. The Kohawks cut the lead before the end of the first period, scoring eight of the final 12 points in the half pull within one at 41-40. The Duhawks controlled the momentum in the early going of the second half, using a 10-3 run to extend their lead back to eight at 51-43. The Kohawks dominated the next six minutes of action, ripping off a 20-6 stretch to take their largest lead of the game at 63-57. The run featured points from four different players including six from Schmitt and five each for Schnurr and Ryan Dolphin. Coe pulled further away later in the half, extending the lead to double-digits with a 10-3 stretch to go up 78-67. Loras answered with a 6-2 run, pulling within seven points with 1:20 to play. Coe managed the remainder of the game, getting a pair of free throws from Schnurr before a game-sealing slam from Steffen.
Up next: Coe returns to Cedar Rapids for its next contest, welcoming Central College to Kohawk Arena on Saturday, January 27 at 2 PM.
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