CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The Coe College men's basketball team won its 2026-27 season opener on Friday evening at Kohawk Arena, defeating the Cornell College Rams 99-73. The Kohawks had a record setting performance in the victory as
Zach Strauss hit a program record nine 3s in the dominant victory. Coe started early in the first half, ripping off a 10-5 run to begin the game and never looking back. Strauss totaled 14 points in the first half and was matched by teammate
Dominic Rhoden who helped propel Coe to a 49-32 halftime lead. Strauss scored 17 more points in the second half, connecting on four 3s in the opening six-plus minutes before hitting the record-breaking triple with 8:50 to play. In total, Strauss finished with a career-high 31 points in 34 minutes, shooting 11-of-16 from the floor and 9-of-13 from beyond the arc. Rhoden was just behind with 27 total points, going 11-of-15 while adding three assists and two rebounds.
Kanyon Bryte was Coe's other double-digit scorer in the victory, posting 12 points and four assists to round out a balanced effort.
GAME FACTS:
COE 99 - CORNELL 73
- Coe controlled the opening first of the first half, scoring 10 of the first 15 points as Bryte put home two slams to set the tone. The Kohawks slowly stretched the lead over the next five minutes, getting a four-point play from Rhoden and Strauss' first 3 of the contest to lead 21-13. Strauss continued to cook, answering a 5-0 run from Cornell with another 3 to spark a Kohawk run. This time, Coe scored 10 unanswered, pulling ahead 31-13 with just under nine to play in the half. Cornell managed to keep itself in the game down the stretch of the first half, outscoring Coe 15-12 in the final five-plus minutes to make it 49-32 at the break. The Kohawks pulled away again in the second half thanks to the red-hot Strauss, getting four triples from the senior in the opening six minutes to lead 73-50. The aforementioned sharp shooter set the record later in the half, connecting on his ninth 3 of the game to put Coe up 83-62 with 8:50 to play. Coe handled Cornell's pressure for the final minutes of the game, easing over the finish line for the season-opening victory.
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