#11 Eagles Outlast #13 Reivers in Overtime Thriller in Johnson Hall
Cedar Rapids, IA- In a top-15 ICCAC showdown that lived up to every bit of the billing, the #11 Kirkwood Men's Basketball Team delivered a statement win Wednesday night inside Johnson Hall, edging the #13 Iowa Western Reivers 77–73 in overtime. The victory pushed the Eagles to 11–4 in conference play, while Iowa Western slipped to 9–5, and it extended Kirkwood's red-hot stretch to nine straight wins.
The tone was set early in a tightly contested first half. Kirkwood matched Iowa Western possession for possession, taking a narrow three-point advantage into the locker room. Neither team could gain real separation after the break, and what followed in the final three minutes of regulation was pure chaos—clutch jumpers, win-or-go-home free throws, momentum-swinging turnovers, and a crowd on edge with every possession. When the horn sounded, the teams were deadlocked at 69.
Once extra time began, the Eagles imposed their will. Kirkwood made the key plays on both ends, executing offensively and getting crucial stops to slowly pull away. The Reivers were held to just four points in overtime, while the Eagles poured in eight to secure the 77–73 victory.
Several individual performances stood out in the grind-it-out win. Manasse Kasongo anchored the Eagles with a team-high 18 points and a double-double, controlling the paint on both ends and providing steady production when it mattered most. Kayvion Hodges was relentless on the glass, grabbing six offensive rebounds that turned into critical second-chance opportunities and swung the physical battle in Kirkwood's favor. Chris Coleman added timely shooting, while the Eagles' collective toughness showed in overtime as they out-rebounded and out-executed Iowa Western when the game was on the line.
Next Up
The Eagles hit the road this Saturday, traveling to Sioux City to take on the Western Iowa Tech Comets. Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m., as Kirkwood looks to keep its win streak rolling.
