Regular Season Ends with Win in Chicago

Chicago, IL -- The Indian Hills Warriors can now start making preparations for the postseason after concluding their 30-game regular season schedule with an 80-72 win against Kennedy-King College on Saturday.

Jameel McKay, who led the Warriors with 22 points, scored six straight points early in the second half as part of a 9-0 run to help IHCC turn the game around.

The Warriors trailed 38-36 at the half, but ran off the nine consecutive points after Kennedy-King's Jamal Dantzler hit a pair of free throws to open the second-half scoring.

Dantzler had 25 points to lead all scorers.

Once IHCC took the lead at 45-40 on a Ronnie Stevens tip-in, the Statesmen were eventually able to get to within a point at 49-48 on two free throws by Demarko Nash, who scored 21 points.

One of McKay's eight second-half field goals was followed by a three-pointer by Brandon Spearman and the lead was back to six.

Kennedy-King was held to just two field goals in the first ten minutes of the second half and only made seven the entire half. They managed to stay close with 26-of-33 free throw shooting.

The game was a homecoming of sorts for the four IHCC players -- Spearman, D.J. Bennett, Kieran Woods and Michael Haynes -- from the Chicago area. It was the first game in Chicago for an Indian Hills team in seven years.

The Warriors will get next week off in preparation for the best-of-three series to determine the Region 11 postseason champion. Marshalltown will travel to play Iowa Western on Thursday night and the winner of that game will be the Warriors' opponent in the series.

By virtue of winning the regular season Region 11 title, Indian Hills has the homecourt advantage in the title series. They will host either MCC or IWCC on Monday, Mar. 5, in game one.

INDIAN HILLS 80, KENNEDY-KING 72

INDIAN HILLS Brandon Spearman 4 0-0 11, Gary Ricks, Jr. 2 0-0 4, DeAndray Buckley 2 1-3 6, Michael Haynes 1 2-4 4, D.J. Bennett 5 3-7 13, Kieran Woods 1 0-0 2, Jameel McKay 10 2-3 22, Roderick Bobbitt 1 4-4 6, Dustin Hogue 2 1-1 5, Ronnie Stevens 2 3-5 7, Trinson White 0 0-0 0, Gary Ross 0 0-0 0 Team 30 16-27 80

KENNEDY-KING Brandon Caruthers 1 3-6 6, Demarko Nash 5 8-8 21, Jamal Dantzler 7 9-12 25, Tony Pierce 1 0-0 2, Devonn Gavin 3 0-0 6, Terron Farrell 3 6-7 12, Marcus Deloney 0 0-0 0, Anthony Parker 0 0-0 0, Tony Christian 0 0-0 0 Team 20 26-33 72

Halftime score: Kennedy-King 38, Indian Hills 36; Three-point field goals: IHCC 4 (Spearman 3, Buckley 1), KKC 6 (Nash 3, Dantzler 2, Caruthers 1)