DUBUQUE, Iowa — The third-seeded Coe College men's basketball team suffered a season-ending defeat Thursday evening in a semifinal matchup of the American Rivers Conference tournament, falling 72-71 to Loras College. The Kohawks and Duhawks went back-and-forth in the opening half, each controlling some of the first 20 minutes. A late charge from the Kohawks gave the visitors a six-point lead but the Duhawks made certain to cut into the deficit ahead of the half, pulling to within one at 36-35 after the first period. The Kohawks dominated the first seven-plus minutes of the second half, building an 11-point advantage after a 3 from
Deuce Walters made it 59-48 with 11:15 to play. The hosts answered, ripping off 16 unanswered points to grab a 64-59 lead with less than six to play. The Duhawks hung on in the end, fending off the Kohawks who had a chance to win in at the final buzzer but an offensive foul call all but ended the game with less than a second remaining.
Cooper Nailor hit a career milestone despite the loss, eclipsing the 1,000-point mark for his career as the senior tallied 20 points, six rebounds and six assists in his final outing as a Kohawk.
Kanyon Bryte was a rebound shy of his second-straight double-double, totaling 15 points and nine rebounds. Walters and
Ryan Dolphin rounded out Coe's double-digit scoring efforts, scoring 12 and 10 points respectively.
GAME FACTS
NO. 2 LORAS 72 - NO. 3 COE 71
- Loras controlled the opening minutes of the first, scoring eight of the first 12 points. Coe struck back, getting a 7-3 run that was capped off by a 3 from Bowman that leveled the game at 11. An 11-4 run from the Duhawks stretched the lead once again to multiple possessions at 22-15 with just under nine minutes left in the half. Coe quickly got itself back into rhythm, answering with a 9-0 spurt that featured a run-starting 3 from Nailor as the senior helped Coe get its first lead at 24-22. The Kohawks slowly pulled ahead over the next few minutes, getting a 9-4 stretch to take a 33-26 advantage with 3:41 to play in the half. Loras kept things close down the stretch of the period, scoring nine of the final 12, including seven unanswered to make it a one-point game at the break. The Kohawks controlled the game out of the half, scoring seven of the first 10 points to extend the lead. The lead slowly grew over the next six minutes as Coe continued to outscore Loras and pick up stops on the defensive end. Trailing 59-48, Loras ripped off a game-changing stretch as the Duhawks scored 16 unanswered points to flip the score in its favor at 64-59. Back-to-back 3s for the Kohawks slowed the run momentarily but Loras stayed cool and slowly built a five-point lead before the final minute. The Kohawks continued to fight, getting within one point with 11 seconds to play but the final chance was cut short as an offensive foul was called as the visitors looked for the game-winning shot.
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