Davis powers SWCC men to key conference win

CNA photo by LARRY PETERSON Fastbreak flyer : Tyler Raasch of Southwestern scoops a running shot under Iowa CentralÕs Spencer Shelman to give the Spartans an early 27-11 lead. Southwestern held on for the 70-65 victory.

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Southwestern men opened up a 16-point lead in the first half, then held off an Iowa Central team that closed to within two points before securing a 70-65 conference victory Wednesday night. Sophomore Anthony Davis of Clarinda won the battle inside with 27 points, including 16 in the first half when the Spartans were building a 27-11 lead. The halftime margin ended up 12 at 39-27. Iowa Central used a 9-0 run early in the second half to quickly shave it to 41-36, and the Spartan lead was in a precarious position at 41-39 and again at 50-48. Timely spurt A spurt with 4:33 left gave Southwestern the cushion it needed to finish the job. Davis hit the first of two free throws to make it 59-55. He missed the second, but teammate Royce Phillips gathered the rebound and tried a putback. He missed, but Davis flushed the carom for a dunk that opened a 61-55 lead and injected some life into a larger-than-usual crowd in the Spartan gym. Davis scored four of the team’s final eight points, assisted Phillips for two more, and point guard Terrance Morgan put on the final touches with a pair of free throws with 13 seconds left. Southwestern (11-5) was an improved 13-of-18 at the line Wednesday after struggling at 15-of-33 Monday against William Jewell JV. “We made some free throws,” Drymon said, knocking on the (wood) floor. “Anthony Davis showed up tonight and played a great game. That’s what we need to be successful, especially while Laurice (Ellison) is out. He has to stay out of foul trouble and dominate. He was the best player on the court tonight. Every time they tried to make a run, he made a basket to counter it, whether it was a tip-in at the end of a loose ball, a rebound or a post move.” Southwestern yielded nine 3-pointers by Iowa Central, including three by 6-foot-7 post player Keith Kuenstling, and two by 6-6 Greg Schulz of Carroll. Four other Tritons hit one 3-pointer each. “You have to give up something defensively,” Drymon said. “I’d rather have those guys (Kuenstling and Schulz) shooting from out there, because it kind of tames them away from rebounding and that type of stuff. Our guards were undersized and they tried to post us up, but we did a nice job of battling them inside.” Turnovers allowed Iowa Central to gain extra opportunities during the second-half rally, but Southwestern recovered and executed better down the stretch. “They were defending us better in the second half, and we tossed the ball around,” Drymon said. “Part of it is kids are trying to make plays, and they’re freshmen. We lose track of the fact they’ve played 16 college games. We rebounded and defended better at the end.” Iowa Central, which started five sophomores, fell to 8-10 overall and 1-3 in the league. Tough stretch The win moves Southwestern to 2-2 in the ICCAC, tied for fourth with 14th-ranked DMACC, which visits Southwestern next Wednesday. The Spartans travel to Cedar Rapids to take on No. 2 Kirkwood Saturday, and host Central JV on Monday. “This is a huge win, especially when you look into going to Kirkwood, the number two team in the country, and DMACC looming next Wednesday,” Drymon said. “We could have gone into a tough slide.” Ellison, a 6-9 sophomore, is questionable for next week with a shoulder strain. Ryckey Harper returned to action Wednesday from a leg injury, but his minutes were limited. Three Spartans joined Davis in double-figure scoring with Phillips and Morgan netting 11 each, and 10 by freshman guard Tyler Raasch. SOUTHWESTERN (70) — Anthony Davis 12 3-4 27, Royce Phillips 5 1-2 11, Terrance Morgan 3 5-7 11, Tyler Raasch 4 0-0 10, Kristian Williams 2 2-3 6, Chris Santiago 1 2-2 5. Totals — 27 13-18 70. 3-point goals — 3 (Raasch 2, Santiago 1). Team fouls — 14. Fouled out — None. IOWA CENTRAL (65) — Keith Kuenstling 7 2-2 19, Leterrious Thomas 5 6-9 16, Greg Schulz 2 0-0 6, Keinon Collins 2 0-0 5, Spencer Shelman 2 0-0 5, Jerome Nelson 2 1-2 5, Aaron Williams 2 0-0 5, Tyler McManaman 1 0-0 3, Courtney Walters 0 1-2 1. Totals — 23 10-15 65. 3-point goals — 9 (Kuenstling 3, Schulz 2, Collins 1, Shelman 1, McManaman 1, Williams 1). Team fouls — 18. Fouled out — None. SWCC — 37 70 ICCC — 27 65 ____________ Larry Peterson can be reached at 782-2141, ext. 232 or lpeterson@crestonnews.com