Ottumwa -- The 12th-ranked Indian Hills Warriors overcame a sluggish start -- not unexpected in a season-opener -- and ran away from visiting Butler (Kans.) CC, 103-67, at the Hellyer Center Friday night in the Financial Partners Classic. After trailing by as many as seven points in the early-going, the Warriors got on track with an 18-10 spurt to end the first half, then pulled away by scoring 14 of the first 16 points of the final period to increase their homecourt winning streak to 36 in a row.
Tomas Woldetensae, one of two returning players from last year's 33-1 IHCC squad, led the scoring by matching his career high with 20 points. It was Woldetensae's two free throws that gave IHCC a 28-27 lead, an advantage it never relinquished. The 6'5" sophomore hit back-to-back 3-pointers to start the second half, part of the run that allowed the Warriors to grab their first 20-point lead. The margin grew to 40 late in the game and Nick Wagner put Indian Hills over the century mark in scoring with a 3-pointer.
Butler came out firing, grabbing a 22-15 lead thanks to some early threes. They made six in the opening half, but only one after that. Jaden Lee and Juwan White combined for 24 first-half points for the Grizzlies, but the two didn't hit a field goal over the final 20 minutes when Indian Hills outscored Butler, 55-28.
IHCC hit 13 3-point shots with seven different players finding the mark from distance. Woldetensae made four and Devontae Lane, the other returner for the Warriors, along with Iziah James and Tyon Grant-Foster all hit two.
Grant-Foster scored 14 points in his Indian Hills debut. Tyler Chison tallied 15, JD Muila 12, and Lance Singh and James 10 each in the first-ever meeting in basketball between IHCC and Butler.
Lee led the Grizzlies with 15 and White added 12.
It was the the 30th consecutive season-opening victory for Indian Hills and the 32nd straight year they won a home opener in this, the 33rd year of hoops at the Hellyer Center.
The Warriors' ICCAC rival, Marshalltown CC, defeated another Kansas Jayhawk Conference team, Independence CC, in Friday's first game, 94-73. Indian Hills and MCC will switch opponents Saturday night, with the Warriors taking on Independence at 7:00.
INDIAN HILLS 103, BUTLER 67
INDIAN HILLS
Devontae Lane 2 0-1 6, Lance Singh 5 0-0 10, Billy Thomas 3 0-0 7, Iziah James 4 0-0 10, Nick Wagner 2 0-0 5, Tyon Grant-Foster 5 2-6 14, Tomas Woldetensae 6 4-4 20, Tajim Smith 0 0-0 0, JD Muila 6 0-1 12, Anthony Bratton 2 0-1 4, Tyler Chison 6 2-4 15 Team 41 8-17 103
BUTLER
Juwan White 4 2-4 12, John Ogugua 4 2-2 10, Kamron Brice 0 0-0 0, Jon'il Fugett 0 1-2 1, Sam Ward 1 0-0 3, Chiddy Golden 1 0-0 2, Jaden Lee 3 6-8 15, Mohamed Fofana 1 0-0 2, Daviyon Dennis 0 2-2 2, Immanuel Allen 4 1-2 10, Jalin Thorpe 3 0-0 6, Tyrone Coley 2 1-3 5 Team 23 14-23 67
Haltime score: Indian Hills 48, Butler 39; Three-point field goals: IHCC 13 (Woldetensae 4, Lane 2, James 2, Grant-Foster 2, Thomas 1, Wagner 1, Chison 1), BCC 7 (Lee 3, White 2, Ward 1, Allen 1)