Ottumwa, IA – A second half surge powered No. 3 Indian Hills Men's Basketball to an 81-65 victory over No. 18 Southeastern Community College at the Hellyer Center on Saturday night. The Warriors improve to 22-2 overall on the year and 3-0 in Iowa Community College Athletic Conference (ICCAC) play.
The Warriors turned a three-point halftime deficit into a 16-point victory after outscoring the Blackhawks 48-29 over the final 20 minutes of play. Indian Hills is now 2-0 on the year against the Blackhawks and have won four in a row and nine of the last 10 in the historic junior college rivalry. With the win, the Warriors clinch the outright regular season ICCAC title.
Sophomore Don McHenry (Milwaukee, WI/Hawaii-Hilo) was once again the offensive catalyst for the Warriors with a team-high 24 points. McHenry added six rebounds in the win for the Warriors. The guard has now led the Warriors in scoring in 11 contests this year including each of the last six games. McHenry is averaging 19.1 points per game over the team's last eight games.
Truth Harris (Mount Vernon, NY/Pensacola) added 14 points and four steals while Ryan Myers (Bronx, NY/Iona) chipped in 12 points. Sophomore Enoch Kalambay (Gatineau, Canada/Orangeville Prep) tallied nine points and led the Warriors with both 10 rebounds, five assists, and two blocks.
Odiahi Slams it for the Warriors‼️
— GoHillsTV (@GoHillsTv) February 5, 2023
Score is now 47-44, Warriors lead over the Blackhawks by 3 with just under 14 minutes left in the ball game! pic.twitter.com/SigXsC3jAN
The Warriors limited Southeastern to just three three-point shots on the night as the Blackhawks shot 15.0 percent from beyond the arc, the second lowest percentage allowed by the Warrior defense this year. Southeastern shot just 30.6 percent overall on the night as the Warriors lowered their opponents' field goal percentage to 36.3 percent this year, the second-best mark in the nation.
The Warriors jumped all over Southeastern from the jump as McHenry powered the home team to a 16-3 lead less than seven minutes into the contest. McHenry scored six points early to spark the offense. The Blackhawks eventually found their rhythm and battled back to tie the game at 25-all with 4:05 to play in the opening half. McHenry scored six of the final eight points of the half, but Southeastern took a 36-33 lead into halftime.
A three-point play from Harris and a pair of buckets from David Jones (Sacramento, CA/Panola) tied the game at 40 in the early moments of the second half. Both sides kept within striking distance before a jumper from Myers sparked a 13-1 Warrior run. Indian Hills managed to hold Southeastern without a field goal for 6:08 to pull way late and pick up its seventh consecutive win.
Indian Hills is now 6-1 this year when trailing at halftime. The Warriors trailed at the half in each of the two matchups with Southeastern this year, including a 12-point deficit back on January 14 in West Burlington, IA.
The Warriors forced 16 Blackhawk turnovers on Saturday night and score 22 points off the miscues. Indian Hills also managed a 26-14 edge in points in the point.
Indian Hills hits the road for a non-league matchup at Missouri State University – West Plains on Monday night in West Plains, MO. The Warriors previously defeated the Grizzlies 79-60 at the Hellyer Center on November 19.
WARRIORS KNOCK OFF BLACKHAWKS - No. 3-rated @ihccbasketball completed the regular-season sweep of No. 18-ranked @BlackhawksMBB with an 81-65 victory tonight at the Hellyer Center. #WeAreWarriors #WarriorNation pic.twitter.com/3MbW41Q5XX
— IHCC Athletics (@IHCCAthletics) February 5, 2023
