Ottumwa -- No. 6-ranked Indian Hills overcame a slow start, finally getting their offense going in a 60-point second half, and the Warriors rolled over Pratt (Kans.) CC on Friday night, winning 100-60 in the Reed Overhead Doors Classic at the Hellyer Center.
Neither team generated much offense in the early-going. In fact, Pratt didn't get on the scoreboard until the 13:48 mark of the opening period after IHCC scored the first seven points of the night. Returner Tyon Grant-Foster, who led all scorers with a career-high 26 points, helped get the Indian Hills attack on track. The 6-7 sophomore converted a three-point play, nailed a 3-pointer, then hit a free throw, his 7-0 run building the lead to double-digits for the first time. The other Warrior back from last year's 27-7 squad, JD Muila, followed his teammate's seven quick points with four of his own. Muila scored on a left-hand hook shot in close and then stole a pass and went the length of the court for a slam dunk.
Indian Hills eventually built the lead to 23 before Pratt staged a comeback. The Beavers whittled the lead to 12 in the final minute of the half when Zool Kueth hit a three. The Warriors waited until the final seconds before getting the ball to Chris Childs, who buried a 3-ball with a second to go to send IHCC off with a 40-25 halftime advantage.
Maurice Calloo started the second half for Indian Hills the same way the first half ended, with a three, and the Warriors steadily stretched the lead after that. Grant-Foster had another run, scoring 10 consecutive points on a pair of 3-point plays and back-to-back buckets. Drake Jeffries enjoyed his IHCC debut with 5-of-6 shooting from behind the arc and had 15 points.
Dedoch Chan chipped in 12 for the Warriors, all in the second half. Calloo and Childs each scored 10.
Indian Hills, coming off a season when they averaged nearly 10 made threes per game, drilled 13 the first time out, in 27 attempts. Pratt made only 2-of-25 shots from distance and shot just 32 percent overall.
The Warriors will try to make it two straight wins on their home floor Saturday night when they battle No. 4 John A. Logan. JAL was surprised by Otero JC, 87-79, in Friday's first game. Otero is coached by former Indian Hills assistant Cole Dewey.
INDIAN HILLS 100, PRATT 60
INDIAN HILLS
Maurice Calloo 2 5-7 10, Tyrese Nickelson 2 0-0 5, Loseni Kamara 0 1-2 1, Chris Childs 3 1-2 10, Malique Jacobs 3 2-4 8, Tyon Grant-Foster 9 7-11 26, Drake Jeffries 5 0-0 15, JD Muila 4 0-0 8, Dedoch Chan 4 2-4 12, Theo Bourgeois 0 3-5 3, Ben Lyon 1 0-0 2 Team 33 21-35 100
PRATT
Jamel Horton 1 8-10 10, James Burns 8 2-5 18, Mahamadou Nimaga 0 0-0 0, Drew Honas 1 1-2 3, C.J. Kelly 1 0-0 2, Zool Kueth 4 1-3 10, Jordan Horn 0 2-2 2, Deontae Davis 0 0-0 0, Julian Eziukwu 0 2-2 2, Harrison Eghan 1 3-3 5, Tommy Thomas 3 1-2 8, Carlos Montiel 0 0-2 0, John Long 0 0-0 0 Team 19 20-31 60
Halftime score: Indian Hills 40, Pratt 25; Three-point field goals: IHCC 13 (Jeffries 5, Childs 3, Chan 2, Calloo 1, Nickelson 1, Grant-Foster 1), PCC 2 (Kueth 1, Thomas 1)