No. 13 Eagles Rally Past No. 11 Iowa Central
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – In a pivotal ICCAC battle with major regional tournament seeding implications, the #13 Kirkwood Eagles delivered a statement second half Wednesday night inside Johnson Hall, rallying past #11 Iowa Central for a 77-68 victory.
After trailing 39-31 at halftime, Kirkwood flipped the script with a commanding 46-point second half to secure the nine-point win. The Eagles shot just 38.5 percent in the opening half but responded by shooting 50 percent after the break, turning up the defensive intensity and executing offensively when it mattered most.
Chris Coleman led the way with 23 points, attacking the rim and living at the free throw line, where he went a perfect 13-for-13. He added four assists in a poised, all-around performance.
Manasse Kasongo delivered a huge effort with 20 points and eight rebounds, shooting 7-of-11 from the floor while protecting the paint with three blocked shots. His presence on both ends helped spark the Eagles' second-half surge.
Richard Lindsey Jr. added eight points, while Ben Bockman knocked down a pair of threes and finished with eight points. Cole Marsh contributed five points, eight rebounds, and four assists, impacting the game in multiple ways.
Kirkwood's defense tightened significantly after the break, holding Iowa Central to just 32.4 percent shooting in the second half after the Tritons shot nearly 47 percent in the first.
Despite being outscored in the paint, Kirkwood forced timely stops and limited second-chance opportunities down the stretch, outscoring Iowa Central 46-29 in the final 20 minutes to secure the comeback win.
With the victory, the Eagles improve to 20-6 overall and 12-5 in ICCAC play, positioning themselves strongly as postseason seeding begins to take shape.
Next Up
The Eagles return to Johnson Hall on Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. when they host the Northeast Hawks in the annual Crowd the Court Game.
