Ottumwa -- Conference-leader Indian Hills rallied to get back into the game late in the first half, then couldn't pull away for good until the final minute, but still managed to keep its ICCAC winning streaks alive with a 94-82 decision over Marshalltown CC at the Hellyer Center Saturday night.
The win was the fifth in a row without a loss in the league this season, the 19th straight regular-season conference victory and extended to 23 the number of consecutive wins overall against ICCAC foes.
This, however, was a battle from the outset, and wasn't decided until the Warriors nailed eight free throws without a miss in the last 60 seconds.
Marshalltown outplayed IHCC for most of the first half, leading by as many as 11 points. The Warriors climbed back into the contest with a 13-2 run to conclude the opening period. Torrey Patton rebounded a missed 3-point try and hooked it in at the buzzer to allow Indian Hills to knot the score at 36-all at the break. It was one of Patton's team-high 10 rebounds and two of his team-best 24 points on the night.
MCC went up 34-23 on a pair of free throws by Kelton Edwards with 3:55 left in the first period. Patton's 3-point play got the Warriors back on track. He added two foul shots and the game-tying bucket the rest of the half.
That late first-half surge also included a three by Tomas Woldetensae, his second of five on the night. The sophomore now has 77 for the year, a total that puts him in the top ten on the all-time single-season list. He scored 23 points.
There were nine ties in the second period, the last one at 60-60. Patton and Woldetensae scored on back-to-back field goals for IHCC, but a three by the Tigers' Goran Vidovic and an inside goal by Eduardo Lane gave MCC one last lead at 65-64. Iziah James put Indian Hills back in front and the Warriors used a 3-point play by Tyon Grant-Foster and a triple from Woldetensae to eventually build the advantage to 81-70.
Marshalltown made one last run and when Edwards dropped in a 3-pointer it cut the deficit to 86-82 with a minute left in regulation.
The Warriors then drilled eight straight at the line -- six by James and two by Patton -- to provide the final margin.
The Tigers took advantage of Lane's size advantage on the inside coming out of the lockerroom, with the 6-10 post player getting six field goals in the final half and scoring 18 points before fouling out with 3:45 to play. Edwards led MCC with 24 points, 16 of them after halftime.
James aided Patton and Woldetensae with his 16 points and Grant-Foster equaled his season-high by scoring 14.
It was win number-20 overall for IHCC, marking the 14th year in a row with at least 20 victories. And it was the 15th consecutive decision against the Tigers.
The Warriors will make up last week's postponed contest with Northeast (Neb.) this Wednesday in Norfolk and then return home to face Moberly (Mo.) on Saturday night.
INDIAN HILLS 94, MARSHALLTOWN 82
INDIAN HILLS (20-4, 5-0)
Lance Singh 1 0-0 3, Iziah James 3 9-10 16, Nick Wagner 1 0-0 2, Tyon Grant-Foster 3 8-12 14, Tomas Woldetensae 8 2-2 23, Tajim Smith 0 0-0 0, JD Muila 2 0-0 4, Anthony Bratton 0 2-2 2, Tyler Chisom 2 2-3 6, Torrey Patton 9 6-7 24 Team 29 29-36 94
MARSHALLTOWN (11-13, 0-5)
Kelton Edwards 8 6-7 24, Goran Vidovic 4 2-2 14, Juan Coffi 2 1-2 5, Nick Fleming 4 0-0 8, Eduardo Lane 8 2-4 18, JJ Foster 3 2-2 11, Bassirou Ndiaye 1 0-0 2, Palmi Thorsson 0 0-0 0, Myles Broadie 0 0-0 0 Team 30 13-17 82
Halftime score: Indian Hills 36, Marshalltown 36; Three-point field goals: IHCC 7 (Woldetensae 5, Singh 1, James 1), MCC 9 (Vidovic 4, Foster 3, Edwards 2)