Spartan men win two
The Southwestern men’s basketball team picked up a pair of home wins in the past three days.
On Monday, four players scored in double-figures as the Spartans took an 89-66 non-league win over North Central (Mo.). Ryckey Harper led Southwestern with 19 points, with Harper and Tyler Raasch each connecting on three 3-pointers.
The Spartans led just 40-39 at halftime, but turned it on in the second half.
“In the second half, we played really well,” said Southwestern coach Jerry Drymon. “In the first half, North Central played hard and we didn’t match their intensity. We played with a lot more intensity in the second half.”
Laurice Ellison (18), Anthony Davis (17) and Raasch (15) were also in double-figures Monday night.
The win follows a league victory at home Saturday when the Spartans topped North Iowa Area Community College, 74-61.
Harper led four Spartans in double figures with 18 points, including 7-of-8 at the free throw line. Point guard Terrance Morgan had 14 points. Ellison, a sophomore center, chipped in 13 points and Royce Phillips had 12.
“Our guards played pretty well,” Drymon said. “We had a lot of second-chance points and we limited their offensive rebounds in the second half.”
Southwestern pulled away from a 33-30 halftime lead to improve to 5-6 in conference play, a game in front of Iowa Central for fifth place. NIACC is in seventh place at 2-10.
The Spartans host league leader Kirkwood (25-2, 11-1 conference) Wednesday night. Kirkwood was recently upset by Ellsworth while rated second in the nation in Division II.
NIACC (61) — Greg Smalls 4 1-2 14, Brandon Stephens 3 6-8 13, Bernell Benjamin 2 4-4 10, Nate Haaland 3 0-0 9, Toki Aromona 2 1-2 5, Joe Speth 2 1-1 5, Brandon Clark 1 0-0 3, Michael Sanders 1 0-0 2. Totals — 18 13-18 61. 3-point goals — 10 (Smalls 3, Haaland 3, Benjamin 2, Clark 1, Stephens 1). Team fouls — 23. Fouled out — Smalls, Aromona.
SOUTHWESTERN (74) — Ryckey Harper 5 7-8 18, Terrance Morgan 6 2-7 14, Laurice Ellison 6 1-1 13, Royce Phillips 6 0-0 12, Tyler Raasch 3 3-4 9, Kristian Williams 2 1-4 5, Jamahl DePriest 1 0-0 3. Totals — 29 14-24 74. 3-point goals — 2 (Harper 1, DePriest 1). Team fouls — 18. Fouled out — None.
NIACC — 30 61
SWCC — 33 74
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N. CENTRAL (66) — Byron Bundy 8 1-2 20, Martin Roper 6 3-5 15, Devin Eighmey 3 6-6 13, Brandon Thomas 4 0-0 10, Robert Neely 2 0-0 4, Jacob Botcher 2 0-0 4. Totals — 25 10-13 66. 3-point goals — 6 (Bundy 3, Thomas 2, Eighmey 1). Team fouls — 14.
SOUTHWESTERN (89) — Ryckey Harper 7 2-4 19, Laurice Ellison 8 2-3 18, Anthony Davis 7 3-5 17, Tyler Raasch 6 0-0 15, Royce Phillips 4 0-1 8, Terrance Morgan 3 0-0 6, Kristian Williams 2 0-0 4, Jamahl DePriest 0 2-2 2. Totals — 37 9-15 89. 3-point goals — 6 (Raasch 3, Harper 3). Team fouls — 16. Fouled out — None.
NC — 39 66
SWCC — 40 89
