High School Basketball
New London earned their spot in the state tournament after taking down Marquette Catholic in the Class 1A Substate 4 championship game. In a packed gym at Solon High School, the crowd was entertained with a fast-paced back-and-forth game that needed overtime to decide the 70-69 final. Blaise Porter would finish with a double-double scoring 27 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, while Kade Benjamin would also cash in 27 points for the Tigers. New London will take the 8th seed and go against the #1 seed Grand View Christian on March 6th at 10:30 am. Head Coach Bryant Porter says his team has embraced the underdog mentality.
The Winfield-Mt. Union girls’ team will take on North Linn on March 1st at 6:45 pm. KILJ will be on the call with pregame at 6:30 pm.
Iowa Wesleyan Athletics
The women’s basketball team repeated as Continental Athletic Conference (CAC) Champions after taking down Haskell Indian Nations 64-59. Isabell West played a phenomenal game finishing with a double-double as she scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. In the game before, the Tigers would qualify for the NAIA National Tournament after defeating Arkansas Baptist College 75-49. Kyla Moore knocked down 5 three-pointers on her way to 23 points in the winning effort. Moore and West were both recognized as 1st Team All-Conference before the tournament. West would also take home Newcomer of the Year and Player of the Year. Breanna Wendland was named 2nd Team All-Conference and Brielle Baker was recognized as the Champion of Character for the Tigers. Head Coach Steve Williamson went back-to-back as he was named CAC Coach of the Year after leading the Tigers to an undefeated conference record and 20 wins in one season for the first time in 7 years. The NAIA National Tournament begins play on March 7th.
The 23rd-ranked men’s team accomplished two feats over the weekend. In a 53-49 win over Washington Adventist University, the Tigers qualified for the NAIA National tournament for the first time since 2011 as they were led by Henry Shannon’s and Gacoby Jones’ 17 points apiece. The win also guaranteed them a rematch with Florida College for the CAC championship. The rematch was just what the Tigers needed as they became Conference Champions for the first time since 2011 in a 70-66 win over the 14th ranked Falcons. Joey Brown IV drained 5 three-pointers in the win totaling 19 points with Hakeem Odunsi supplying 17 points off the bench. The team also earned 5 CAC honors as Henry Shannon earned 1st Team All-Conference. Gacoby Jones and Joey Brown IV each nabbed honorable mention All-Conference. First year head coach, Jordan Ashton, took home CAC Coach of the Year after leading them to #23 ranking on the year and a 24-2 regular season record. The National Tournament will begin on March 7th.
The women’s wrestling team had a strong conference championship showcase finishing in 2nd place behind Grand View University. Alaina Sunlin finished in 2nd place for the 101-pound weight class. Faith Cole and Mia Palumbo would square off against one another in the championship match for the 109-pound weight class where Palumbo would defeat Cole by an 8-1 decision. Destiny Campbell and JoAnna Vanderwood would face off against one another in the 3rd place match for the 130-pound weight class with Vanderwood coming up with the win by a 3-1 decision. Adaugo Nwachukwu would repeat as the 136-pound weight class conference champion as she took down Jade Martin by fall. Isabelle Hawley fell in the championship match for the 143-pound weight class to claim 2nd place. America Lopez would take home 3rd place in the 170-pound weight class. The 2023 NAIA Women’s Wrestling National Championship will take place on March 10th.
The men’s wrestling team will have Lane Scorpil represent the Tigers at the NAIA Men’s Wrestling National Championship meet on March 3rd.
The Tigers Indoor Track and Field teams will be competing in the NAIA Indoor Track and Field national championship meet on March 2nd.
The Tiger baseball team dropped both games of their doubleheader against Kansas Wesleyan University over the weekend. In game one, the Tigers would lose 11-1 with their one run coming off a Holvin Catala solo home run. Game two had a similar result with Kansas Wesleyan taking it 11-2. Julian Figueroa and Sage Bonner each had an RBI in the contest. Yesterday, Iowa Wesleyan would give up 9 runs in the final two innings to lose 13-5 against Kansas Wesleyan. Riley Rankin would tally 2 RBIs in the game. The Tigers will have a doubleheader against Southeastern University on March 3rd with game one at 3 pm.
The Tiger softball team lost both games to Lyon College Saturday with game one’s final being 10-1. J Morthland hit a triple to tally the lone RBI in the game. Game two was much closer but Lyon College would walk it off in the bottom of the 7th to win 7-6. Kara Krieger and Karoline Stratton would notch 2 RBIs in the effort. The Tigers will face off against Stephens College tomorrow in a doubleheader with game one at 1 pm.
This Day in Sports History
1959 – Boston Celtic Bob Cousy sets a then-NBA record with 28 assists as the Boston Celtics score 173 points against Minneapolis Lakers.
1987 – NCAA cancels SMU’s entire 1987 football schedule for gross violations of NCAA rules regarding athletic corruption.
2007 – Mark Messier’s #11 jersey is retired by the Edmonton Oilers.