ROCKFORD, Ill. - The Regents jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the first 2:23 of the game, but Coe used a strong inside game to beat Rockford 65-61 Tuesday night. The win improved Coe to 2-1 on the year.
The Kohawks cut the Rockford lead to three on a jumper by Conor Bernhard (Byron, Ill./Byron), but the Regents answered with an 11-5 run in the next 6:41, taking a 22-9 lead with 9:23 to play in the first half. Coe took over in the final 9:03 of the half, outscoring Rockford 24-11, tying the game at 33 at the break. Senior Seth Light (Carlisle, Iowa/Carlisle) scored 10 of his 19 points during the stretch.
Tory Minnifield scored the first basket of the second half for Rockford, but a layup and free throw from sophomoreJT Vonderhaar (Bettendorf, Iowa/Assumption) sparked an 11-1 Kohawk run in the next 3:48, as they took a 44-36 lead with 14:36 to play. Coe led 55-44 with 7:43 to play after a 7-0 run, but the Regents wouldn't go away. With 4:51 to play, Taylor Dixon's free throw started a 13-4 run for Rockford over the next 4:44, as they cut the lead to two with :07 to play. SeniorDavid Mataloni (Urbandale, Iowa/Urbandale) hit a pair of free throws with :06 to play to seal the victory.
Coe held a 40-32 advantage on the glass, while dishing out 14 assists. Coe shot 27-of-55 (49.1%), while holding the Regents to 22-of-61 (36.1%) shooting. Coe was just 1-of-16 from 3-point range, while Rockford was 7-of-21. Coe outscored Rockford 46-26 in the paint, while Coe's bench contributed 10 points without a Rockford player scoring off the bench.
Vonderhaar scored a career-high 23 points, while tying his career-high with seven rebounds. Light turned in a double-double for the second-straight year against the Regents, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds while going over 600 points for his career. Light also blocked two shots. Mataloni finished with seven points, while senior Nathan Joens(Swisher, Iowa/Xavier) had eight rebounds. Sophomore Tyler Dawson (Crystal Lake, Ill./South) had a career-high seven rebounds, while junior Andrew Wirth (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cedar Falls) had a career-high eight assists.
The Kohawks return to action on Nov. 28, as they travel to Cornell. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. in Mount Vernon. The game will be a part of the all-sports Bremner Cup Series between the two schools.