MOUNT VERNON, Iowa - Senior David Mataloni (Urbandale, Iowa/Urbandale) scored 14 points Wednesday, as Coe cruised by Linn County rival Cornell 66-52. Mataloni is the 15th player in school history with 1,000 points.
The Kohawks raced out to a 10-0 lead, forcing the Cornell crowd of 1,1170 wait 3:19 before covering the floor with toilet paper after Reggie Greenwood's jumper. Mataloni hit both free throws following the technical foul for his first points of the game. In the last eight years, Coe is 14-of-16 from the free throw line shooting the two shots following the technical foul.
Cornell scored nine-straight points to cut Coe's lead to 16-14 with 9:58 to play in the first half. The Rams led 28-23 with 5:26 to play in the first half before the Kohawks made a run. A pair of free throws by senior Seth Light (Carlisle, Iowa/Carlisle) sparked a 15-5 run in the final 5:03 of the half, as Coe led 38-33 at the break. Light scored the final four points of the half on a dunk and a pair of free throws.
Light scored Coe's first six points of the second half, as the Kohawks opened the final period on an 8-2 run in 2:56. A jumper by Alex Miller with 10:17 to play cut Coe's lead to 57-48, but the Kohawks responded with nine-straight points in the next 6:28 to take a 66-48 lead with 3:29 to play, the largest of the game. Coe didn't score in the final 3:29, while the Rams hit just two field goals in the final 10:16 of the game. One of the Rams baskets came at the 3:06 mark, with the second with :02 to play.
Light finished with a game-high 20 points. Mataloni added 14, while junior Andrew Wirth (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cedar Falls) added seven. Sophomore Max Schmarzo (Palo Alto, Calif./Palo Alto) tied a career-high with six points. SeniorNathan Joens (Swisher, Iowa/Xavier) led Coe with eight rebounds, while Light had six. Wirth finished with five boards.
Wirth had a game-high six assists, while Mataloni and sophomore JT Vonderhaar (Bettendorf, Iowa/Assumption) added three apiece, a new career-high for Vonderhaar. Light blocked three shots, while Wirth and Joens had two steals each. Greenwood led the Rams with 17 points.
Coe held a 34-12 advantage in the paint, while outscoring the Rams 15-7 off turnovers. The victory was the fifth-straight over Cornell, as Coe regained a 5-4 lead in the Bremner Cup all-sports standings between the two schools.
The Kohawks return to action on Saturday, as they travel to Mount Mercy. A link for live video and live stats can be found on the front of CoeAthletics.com.