It was a busy week for Kirkwood Community College’s athletics. The basketball teams went a combined 3-1 and went on a four-hour road trip to Estherville. In the middle of the doubleheader on Saturday, there was the Kirkwood Athletic Hall of Fame recognition.
Men’s Basketball:
Kirkwood 67 at Iowa Lakes 64
The Eagles started their week facing off against the Lakers for a conference matchup on the road. It was a back-and-forth game, as neither team possessed a double-digit lead. With one minute left, Kirkwood had only a one-point lead. Though after a made layup by sophomore guard Chris Coleman and three made free throws by sophomore guard Ben Bockman, the Eagles were able to secure a 67-64 victory. Sophomore guard Richard Lindsay Jr. joins Coleman as the only Eagle in double-digit points, both finishing the night with 13. The Iowa Lakes Lakers record falls to 2-18, and the team remains winless in conference play.
North Iowa Area 76 at Kirkwood 111
After a narrow victory against Iowa Lakes, the Eagles hosted North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) for a conference matchup. Kirkwood began the game with a made layup by freshman forward Grayson Wollum to get the lead, and the Eagles never looked back, winning the game 111-76. Five players scored in double figures: Cole Marsh (22), Chris Coleman (19), Ben Bockman (17), Manasse Kasongo (15) and Grayson Wollum (13). Freshman guard Kayvion Hodges came off the bench and racked up an impressive six steals, while scoring eight points on the game. After the blowout loss, the North Iowa Area Trojans’ record fell to 12-9.
The men’s basketball team is amidst a six-game winning streak, as their record climbs to 16-5. This week the Eagles will face off against Southwestern Community College (Jan. 29) and Central Community College (Jan. 31).
Women’s Basketball:
Kirkwood 68 at Iowa Lakes 31
The Eagles started their week facing off against Iowa Lakes in a conference matchup. Going into this game, Iowa Lakes only had one conference loss on the season, and that was against Kirkwood. That trend quickly repeated itself, and the Eagles had a comfortable 68-31 blowout win. Kirkwood managed Iowa Lakes to only 31 points and just nine second half points. To add to the fire, the Lakers shot 0-21 from beyond the arc. Kirkwood was led by freshman guard Madison Stowater, freshman forward Erianna Moestcher and freshman forward Dasia Foster as they all finished in double-digit points. Guard combo Olivia Wren and Kennedy Blakely combined for six steals. The Iowa Lakes Lakers get their second conference loss of the year, as their season record becomes 14-5.
North Iowa Area 71 at Kirkwood 66
After a strong win against Iowa Lakes, Kirkwood hosted No. 13-ranked NIACC) in a conference matchup. With eight minutes left in the fourth quarter, Kirkwood was up by 12 points, and it was looking like another win for the Eagles. After four turnovers and a hot Trojans offense, North Iowa Area was able to force an overtime. Unfortunately for the Eagles, NIACC had all the momentum and outscored the Eagles 11-6 in overtime, winning the game 71-66. This loss is the third for the Eagles this season. Olivia Wren, Kennedy Blakely and Claire Hudson all ended the night in double-digits. The North Iowa Area Trojans improve to an 18-2 record, surpassing the Eagles’ record.
The women’s basketball team’s record now sits at 17-3 after a tough home loss. This week the Eagles will face off against Southwestern Community College (Jan. 29) and Central Community College (Jan. 31).
Eagles of the Week:
Chris Coleman: 16 PPG, 0.5 APG, 2.5 RPG, 11-for-15 FG, 5-for-7 3PT
Sophomore guard Chris Coleman had a fantastic week. He averaged 16 points while shooting 73 percent from the field. Not to mention, he went 5-7 from beyond the arc. Coleman led the Eagles to a strong 2-0 week. This is Coleman’s first Eagle of the Week nomination.
Kennedy Blakely: 9 PPG, 4.5 APG, 4.5 RPG, 6-for-16 FG, 4-for-11 3PT
Sophomore guard Kennedy Blakely did it all for the Eagles this week. She averaged nine points, and nearly averaged both five assists and rebounds. Her presence from a scoring standpoint was impressive, as was her ability to get rebounds and pass the ball. This is Blakely’s first Eagle of the Week nomination.
Categories: Basketball, Eagles Weekly, Sports
