Eagles’ Second-Half Surge Comes Up Short at Iowa Western
Council Bluffs, IA- The #8 Kirkwood Men's Basketball Team faced a tough road test Saturday afternoon in Council Bluffs, falling 74–66 to #18 Iowa Western inside Reiver Arena. Despite a difficult opening half, the Eagles showed resilience after the break, turning the game into a competitive battle against an unbeaten Reivers squad.
Iowa Western set the tone early, holding Kirkwood to just 17 points in the first half while building a 33–17 advantage. The Eagles struggled to find an offensive rhythm before halftime, but the response after the break was immediate and emphatic.
Kirkwood poured in 49 second-half points, shooting nearly 56 percent from the field and knocking down timely shots to cut into the deficit. Richard Lindsey Jr. led the charge with 18 points, going a perfect 12-for-13 at the free-throw line, while Cole Marsh provided a spark off the bench with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including three three-pointers. Chris Coleman added 14 points and four assists, and Manasse Kasongo recorded a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
The Eagles won the rebounding battle and outscored Iowa Western in the second half, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome as the Reivers maintained control down the stretch.
Kirkwood now returns home to Johnson Hall, where the Eagles will look to bounce back on Wednesday night against Southwestern in the next ICCAC matchup.
