Reivers Knock off #8 Kirkwood

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA - Iowa Western men's basketball earned a statement victory with a wire-to-wire win over No. 8-ranked Kirkwood Community College, controlling the game from start to finish against one of the top teams in the nation. Kirkwood entered the contest ranked eighth in the NJCAA, but the Reivers built an early double-digit advantage and never trailed, leading by as many as 24 points in the first half. The game featured no ties or lead changes.

Iowa Western shot 45.0 percent from the field (27-of-60) while holding Kirkwood to 38.6 percent shooting (22-of-57). The Reivers connected on 38.9 percent from three-point range (7-of-18) and finished 13-of-15 from the free-throw line (86.7%). Iowa Western also controlled the interior, outscoring Kirkwood 36–30 in the paint.

Balanced scoring led the way for IW, with JP Sumo and Nate Parras each scoring 16 points. Sumo played 37 minutes, adding five assists and five steals to anchor the Reivers on both ends of the floor. Parras was efficient from the field, shooting 5-of-9 overall and 2-of-2 from three-point range, while pulling down a team-high eight rebounds.

Zayden Best added 15 points, going a perfect 4-for-4 at the free-throw line, and contributed four assists. Off the bench, Kris Brown provided an immediate spark, scoring 10 points in just 11 minutes, including two three-pointers.

IWCC forced 13 Kirkwood turnovers, converting them into 12 points, while committing just eight turnovers of its own. The Reivers finished with 28 rebounds, 12 assists, and received 19 points from the bench in the victory.

Iowa Western is now 13-0 on the season, and 4-0 in the ICCAC. The Reivers will close out the fall semester with a road contest at Iowa Lakes Community College on Wednesday in Estherville, IA.