Reivers respond to challenge, topple T-Birds 82-70

A quick response to a late second half challenge allowed the Iowa Western Community College Reivers to capture an 82-70 victory over the Cloud County Thunderbirds in the second round the Thanksgiving Classic Saturday afternoon in Bryant Gymnasium.
Coming off an 81-76 victory over North Platte Community College in the opening round of the two-day classic on Friday, the T-Birds fell behind Iowa Western 61-48 in the second half.
A three-point basket by Iyen Enaruna and a bucket by Jacob Shields pulled Cloud County within eight points, 61-53.
Senecca Louis scored for the Reivers to make it a 63-53 game.
Sophomore transfer Jacob Shields scored on a drive and then completed a three-point play as the T-Birds closed the gap to 63-58 with 6:52 remaining in the game.
Shields came off the bench to score a season high 10 points, with eight of those coming in the second half.
“Jacob’s role on this team is only going to get bigger. When you come off an injury like the one he had you expect the world. He was disappointed in how he played (Friday), and it was really good to see him get a couple of baskets to fall,” Cloud County coach Jordan Altman said.
Shields would come up with a steal, and drew a foul. He was unable to connect on either of the two free throw attempts.
Iowa Western they reclaimed control of the game.
Travon Broadway made the first of two free throws, and missed the second.
The Reivers came up with the offensive rebound, and Broadway drilled a three-point shot to push the lead to 67-58.
Broadway was four of six on three-point attempts in leading Iowa Western with 22 points.
Jerome Kidd Jr. scored on a drive, and Cloud County was down 67-60 with 5:23 on the clock.
Back to back threes by Broadway and Marqueis Watson pushed the Reivers’ lead to 73-60.
Cloud County (6-3) was unable to mount a challenge after that.
“That was the first time we’ve played against that type of size and strength,” Altman said, “Some of the moves and things we were getting away with we weren’t getting away with, and we had a lot of bad individual mistakes where we just weren’t taking care of the ball.”
The T-Birds turned the ball over 28 times in the game, with 18 of those coming in the first half.
Alvin Thompson was 8 of 13 from the field and three of four from the free throw line in scoring 19 points for Cloud County.
Enaruna and Kidd Jr. added eight points each.
Emmanuel Ugboh scored 14 points for Iowa Western. Christian Bentley finished with 10 points.
Cloud County, after falling behind 6-2 to start the game, went on an 11-6 run, with Thompson scoring five points, to go up 13-8.
There would be five lead changes over the next six minutes.
The T-Birds’ last lead would be at 19-17 when Enaruna scored with 11:02 to play in the first half.
A quick 12-2 spurt put Iowa Western on top 29-21.
Cloud County would get as close as three points, 33-30, and trailed 37-32 at halftime.
Iowa Western would extend the lead to 13 points early in the second half, and then turned back the rally attempt by the T-Birds.
Cloud County, already without Gabe Pieschl, a freshman guard who was a starter, because of injury, had freshman Ty Duin go down with an injury in the game.
“There’s nothing you can do about that. We’re not going to hang our heads and let the guys feel sorry for themselves in any way,” Altman said, “We preach getting through the adversity, and we certainly have some in front of us now. Hopefully we can respond.”
In the other game played on Saturday, North Platte downed Pratt Community College, 86-72.
Cloud County will open Jayhawk Conference play when it hosts Garden City Community College Wednesday night.