CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The Coe College men's basketball team picked up a 68-65 victory in its final game before the Christmas break Friday evening, defeating the Elmhurst University Bluejays 68-65 at Kohawk Arena. Coe and Elmhurst were neck-and-neck in the opening half, separated by just one point at the end of 20 minutes as the game was tied 11 times with six lead changes in the first period.
Cooper Nailor stepped up in the second half to guide Coe's offense and help the hosts over the line, scoring 16 second-half points to pace the Kohawks. Nailor and the Kohawks were again going back-and-forth with the Bluejays in the second half, separated by no more than five late in the half. The Kohawks got their five-point advantage at the line, scoring four-straight points at the charity stripe while keeping Elmhurst off the board to make it 61-56 with 1:48 to play. Three consecutive from the visitors put pressure back on Coe but the hosts converted 7-of-7 free throws down the stretch to avoid a comeback despite two late 3s from Elmhurst in the final 20 seconds. Nailor was the driving force of Coe's offense, scoring 24 points while adding eight rebounds and five steals.
Jackson Bowman was a rebound shy of another double-double, finishing with 17 points and nine rebounds.
Deuce Walters (15) and
Kanyon Bryte (11) rounded out Coe's scoring efforts, each reaching the double-figure mark.
GAME FACTS
COE 68 - ELMHURST 65
- It was even punching early on, with the teams trading eight points each in the first five minutes. The Bluejays slowly built a lead during the next phase, outscoring Coe 11-5 with a quick spurt that featured 4-of-5 shooting. Coe got it all back in the next few minutes, answering with six unanswered points to level the game at 19. The Kohawks took control for the first time with a run of their own, ripping off an 11-1 stretch that included five points from Bryte and a 3 from Nailor. Elmhurst cut into the lead before the end of the half, ending the period on a 15-8 run including five straight in the final 30 seconds to make it a one-point game at the break. Nailor opened the second half with a 3, giving Coe a four-point lead immediately. Coe struggled to find offensive consistency over the next 10 minutes, seeing Elmhurst score 13 of the next 19 points as the hosts hit just 3-of-17 from the floor on the skid. Walters, Nailor and Bowman helped stopped the rut, using an 8-2 run to regain the lead which the Kohawks held for the rest of the game. The Kohawks went up five with 1:48 and threatened to put the game away but the Bluejays hit a 3 to make it 63-62 with 20 seconds to play, forcing Coe to convert four free throws to regain a comfortable lead. The visitors hit another desperation 3 with 2 seconds to play, cutting the lead to 67-65 but Coe did enough as C. Reece Breitenbach hit a game-sealing free throw for 68-65.
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