Reivers Advance to Region 11-A Championship

The Iowa Western Reivers will be advancing to the Region 11-A Championship game after defeating #15 Kirkwood Community College in the Semifinals on Saturday in Cedar Falls, IA. The Eagles grabbed the early lead, but Iowa Western took control of the game late in the first half. The Reivers led by as much as 8 in the final minutes of the first half, but Kirkwood closed the gap to 3 with a score of 36-33 in favor of Iowa Western.

Iowa Western would quickly extend its lead in the second half. The Reivers' defense tightened up and earned several defensive stops in a row. Iowa Western would push its lead up to as many as 18 points midway through the half. Kirkwood would not go away and started clicking on offense to keep the game interesting. In the end, the Reivers would close out the Eagles at the free-throw line with a 72-61 win on the road. The Reivers held Kirkwood to 38.6% from the floor for the contest.

Judah Vignery led all scorers with 20 points on 5-11 from the floor, 3-5 from the 3-point line, and a perfect 7-7 from the free-throw line. Zayden Best finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double on the night. JP Sumo was huge all night, making plays for the Reivers. Sumo finished with 16 points and 3 assists.

With the win, the Reivers advance to the Region 11-A Championship game against #2 DMACC in Boone, Iowa, on Tuesday at 7:00 pm. Iowa Western is now 23-8 overall on the season and ranked #24 in the latest NJCAA poll.