Sports, Monday, November 29th

Girls’ Prep Basketball: Mount Pleasant Battles Ottumwa, Other Area Tilts

The Mount Pleasant girls’ basketball team will be back on the hardwood tonight when they travel to take on Ottumwa at Evans Middle School.

The Panthers are coming off a 63-43 loss last week by the hands of Pella, while Ottumwa fell to Fort Madison 42-30.

Addison Ransom was the points leader for the Bulldogs last week, scoring 10 points. Ottumwa will start two freshman — Hunter Caldwell and Camdyn Crouse — Crouse scored eight points and bagged nine boards in her debut last week.

Andrea Lopreato started her junior season with a bang despite the loss to the Dutch, scoring 17 points to lead the Panthers.

Mount Pleasant has won the last two matchups against Ottumwa, including a 37-25 win just over one year ago.

Previously, Ottumwa had won five consecutive over the Panthers.

Due to contractual obligations with Hawkeye basketball, who play tonight at Virginia, there will be no radio for tonight’s tilt.

Tip is scheduled for 7:45 p.m. from Evans Middle School.

Other area tilts tonight:

  • Davis County at Fort Madison
  • Keota vs. Louisa-Muscatine
  • Columbus at New London
  • Albia vs. Notre Dame

Boys’ Prep Basketball: Mount Pleasant Opens Tomorrow, Small Slate Tonight

The Mount Pleasant boys’ will open their season tomorrow when the Panthers host Cedar Rapids Xavier.

It will mark the beginning of year two under head coach Eric Rawson, who took the program over from Caleb Akey who left for the same position at Burlington High School.

The Panthers will lean heavily on senior forward Dewon Trent, who was an all-conference selection from a year ago.

Owen Vansickel and Payton Hagans are also expected to shoulder more of an offensive load in their second varsity season.

Tomorrow’s game will tip at 7:30 p.m. and you can listen on FM 105.5 and kilj.com.

Men’s College Wrestling: Iowa Steamrolls Army

The top-ranked University of Iowa wrestling team rolled past Army, 36-7, on Sunday afternoon at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Hawkeyes won eight of 10 bouts and got pins from All-Americans Jaydin Eierman, Alex Marinelli and Tony Cassioppi.

Iowa held a 30-4 advantage in takedowns and the Hawkeyes have now won 20 straight duals.

No. 1 Iowa returns to action December 5th at Iowa State.

The Hawkeyes and Cyclones will meet in the annual Iowa Corn Cy-Hawk Series at Hilton Coliseum beginning at 6 p.m.

College Football: Central Advances, UNI Falls

Central 30, Wheaton (Ill.) 28

Central quarterback Blaine Hawkins completed 41-of-65 passes for 434 yards and four touchdowns as Central rallied late to defeat Wheaton on Saturday, in the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs.

Hawkins hooked up with Tanner Schminke with no time on the clock to vault Central to the third round, where they will meet with UW-Whitewater.

Schminke hauled in 13 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns.

Eastern Washington 19, UNI 9 

Eastern Washington led 9-7 at half and never looked back, as the Eagles dispatched UNI 19-9 in Saturday’s opening round of the FCS Playoffs.

Theo Day finished 12-of-22 for 189 yards and one score, while Bradrick Shaw led the ground game with 51 yards on 14 handles.

UNI closes their season at 6-6.

Eastern Washington will get a date with Montana this Friday.

College Football: Iowa Moves Up Two Spots in AP Poll

The Iowa football team has moved up two spots following their Friday win over Nebraska.

The Hawkeyes are up to No. 15 in the latest Associated Press Top-25 poll and will take on now No. 2 Michigan — who moved up four spots — in the Big Ten Championship Game Saturday night.

Georgia remains No. 1 while Cincinnati and Alabama are No. 3 and No. 4 respectively.

Ohio State dropped five spots to No. 7.