Friday, November 16, 2012

Homecourt Win Over Kennedy-King Keeps IHCC Perfect

Ottumwa -- Playing the final game of a season-opening five-game homestand, No. 4-ranked Indian Hills pulled away from Kennedy-King for a 92-56 victory at the Hellyer Center on Thursday night.

The offensive average for the Warriors actually fell to 105.6 points a game, even though they outscored the Statesmen, 51-29 in the second half.  Indian Hills only dressed 10 players for the game.  All 10 scored and five were in double figures, led by Justin Moss with a season-high 19.

The Warriors scored the first 10 points of the contest and led 25-6 about midway through the opening half.  Kennedy-King cut the margin to 11 points, but never got closer than that.

It was 41-27 at the half and the Warriors then used their full-court press to widen the lead early in the second half.  Kennedy-King committed 24 turnovers and was held to 30-percent shooting from the field.

Dustin Hogue, who signed a letter-of-intent to attend Iowa State on Wednesday, had a double-double for Indian Hills with 18 points and 10 rebounds. 

The Warriors shot 54-percent (35-65).

Indian Hills next week plays its first road games of the season -- three games in five nights.  The Warriors meet Salt Lake CC on Tuesday on the Bruins' home floor and then head north to Idaho where they will play back-to-back games against Treasure Valley (OR) and College of Southern Idaho right after Thanksgiving.

The next home game is against Ellsworth CC on Nov. 30.

INDIAN HILLS 92, KENNEDY-KING 56

INDIAN HILLS

Jameel McKay 4 2-2 10, Trinson White 4 3-5 12, Gary Ross 2 0-0 6, Jelan Kendrick 4 4-8 12, Justin Moss 9 1-3 19, Dustin Hogue 6 6-9 18, Frank Williams 3 0-1 7, Martin Dixon-Green 1 0-2 2, Majok Deng 0 1-2 1, Ronnie Stevens 2 1-1 5  Team 35 18-33 92

KENNEDY-KING

Ramone Ajose 2 1-2 6, Frank Williams 2 5-6 9, Anthony Pierce 2 1-2 6, Leavon Head 1 1-2 4, Devonn Gavin 6 1-2 15, Corday Sims 2 9-10 14, Torin Washington 1 0-0 2, Laron Chance 0 0-2  0  Team 16 18-26 56

Halftime score: Indian Hills 41, Kennedy-King 27; Three-point field goals: IHCC 4 (G. Ross 2; White, F. Williams 1), KKC 6 (Gavin 2; Ajose, Pierce, Head, Sims 1)

Monday, November 12, 2012

Paris is No Match for Warriors

Ottumwa -- The final margin was nowhere near what most had expected in Saturday's matchup between Indian Hills and Paris JC in the final game of the two-day Reed Overhead Doors Classic.  The two teams battled on the Warriors' home court last season and the Warriors prevailed, 84-78.  This time around, Indian Hills raced away to a 17-point halftime lead and buried the visitors from Texas, 115-80, as the Warriors notched their fourth win in a row to open the season.

The game was tied twice early, the second time at 8-all.  Indian Hills used a 12-2 run to gain control and never looked back, forcing 27 Paris turnovers on the night.

The lead was 55-38 at intermission and Indian Hills ran off nine straight points to open the second half as the lead ballooned to 26 points.

Jelan Kendrick poured in a game-high 25 points to lead Indian Hills.  Jameel McKay had his second straight double-double of the weekend with 21 points and 11 rebounds.

Mike Harmon and Eddie Leal scored 14 points each for Paris.

Indian Hills has one more home game -- this Thursday night against Kennedy-King --  in a season-opening five-game home stand before going on the road for three consecutive games.

INDIAN HILLS 115, PARIS 80

INDIAN HILLS

Jameel McKay 9 3-6 21, Richard Amardi 3 1-2 7, Trinson White 2 1-3 6, Ronald Ross 3 2-2 10, Jelan Kendrick 10 5-7 25, Justin Moss 6 2-3 14, Frank Williams 6 0-0 14, Ronnie Stevens 2 0-0 4, Gary Williams, Jr. 2 1-3 7, Martin Dixon-Green 1 0-0 3, Gary Ross 2 0-0 4  Team 46 15-28 115

PARIS

Mike Harmon 5 2-4 14, Eddie Leal 3 5-6 14, Delvin Dickerson 4 4-8 12, Morris Mitchell 4 0-0 8, Anthony Adams 2 3-3 7, Chris Jones 1 4-8 6, Will Ransom 3 0-0 6, Marcus Holt 2 1-2 5, David Tucker 1 1-2 4, Sheldon Yearwood 1 2-2 4  Team 26 22-35 80

Halftime score: Indian Hills 55, Paris 38; Three-point field goals: IHCC (G. Williams, R. Ross, F. Williams 2; Dixon-Green, White 1), PJC 6 (Leal 3, Harmon 2, Tucker 1)

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Indian Hills Slams Mid-Michigan in Classic

Ottumwa -- Fifth-ranked Indian Hills ran away to a 64-25 halftime lead and didn't let up in the second half as the Warriors won their third straight game to open the season, drilling Mid-Michigan, 118-65 at the Hellyer Center Friday night.

The Warriors' relentless pressure defense forced Mid-Michigan into 33 turnovers and Indian Hills used its superior size advantage to dominate the boards on both ends.  IHCC outrebounded MMCC, 62-36, and the Warriors grabbed 29 offensive rebounds.

Frank Williams led seven Indian Hills players in double figures with 16 points.  Jameel McKay and Ronnie Stevens both had double-doubles -- 13 points and 10 rebounds for Stevens, 11 points and 11 rebounds for McKay.

Kendall Thomas's 23 points led Mid-Michigan.  He scored 18 of those points in the second half.

The Warriors figure to get a much tougher test on Saturday night when they take on Paris Junior College in the finale of the Reed Overhead Doors Classic.  IHCC defeated Paris, 84-78, in a game at the Hellyer Center last year.

INDIAN HILLS 118, MID-MICHIGAN 65

INDIAN HILLS

Jameel McKay 4 3-4 11, Richard Amardi 4 2-4 10, Trinson White 4 2-2 10, Dustin Hogue 2 2-4 7, Ronald Ross 2 0-2 4, Jelan Kendrick 2 0-0 4, Justin Moss 3 5-6 11, Frank Williams 7 0-0 16, Ronnie Stevens 6 1-3 13, Gary Williams, Jr. 2 0-0 5, Martin Dixon-Green 3 1-3 7, Majok Deng 5 0-0 13, Gary Ross 1 4-4 7  Team 45 20-32 118

MID-MICHIGAN

Kendall Thomas 8 4-8 23, Ross Bradley 5 0-2 10, Devonte Daniel 3 1-2 7, Tyler Clow 2 0-0 5, Jake Greene 2 0-1 5, Isaiah Woodard 2 0-0 5, Peter Kariuki 1 0-0 3, Jordan Wilson 2 1-2 5, Karlos Perez 1 0-0 2  Team 26 6-17 65

Halftime score: Indian Hills 64, Mid-Michigan 25; Three-point field goals:  IHCC 8 (Deng 3, F. Williams 2; Hogue, G. Williams, G. Ross 1; MMCC 7 (Thomas 3; Greene, Kariuki, Woodard, Clow 1)

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Free Admission for Vets to Saturday Game

OTTUMWA --- Indian Hills Community College is offering free admission to this Saturday night’s basketball game for all military veterans.  Anyone who shows a military ID will be admitted free to the game with Paris Junior College, which starts at 7:00 p.m.  The contest is part of the Reed Overhead Doors Classic at the  Hellyer Student Life Center in Ottumwa.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Warriors Come Out on Top in Battle of Ranked Teams

Ottumwa -- In a game that had 46 tunrovers, 58 fouls and 76 free throw attempts, Indian Hills held off Kirkwood to win a matchup of two teams ranked in the top-seven in their respective divisions on Saturday night.  Not until Gary Williams, Jr. hit two free throws with 1.2 seconds to play could Indian Hills, rated 5th in the NJCAA Division I preseason poll, nail down its 94-89 win against Kirkwood, the 7th-ranked team in Division II.

The Warriors started the second half by scoring 11 straight points to take a seven-point halftime advantage and increase it to 18 at 56-38.  But Kirkwood roared back with a 20-2 run and tied the game on a basket by Taylor Olson with just over 12 minutes to play.  After that, there were five more ties and four lead changes.

The last time the lead changed hands was when IHCC's Frank Williams nailed a 3-pointer to put the Warriors on top 72-70.  Although they got to within a single point four times after that, Kirkwood couldn't get the score back to even.

The Eagles were down 90-89 after Olson made a pair of free throws with under two minutes to play.  Ronald Ross then hit the biggest shot of the night for Indian Hills, a jumper from just outside the free throw lane to make it 92-89.

Kirkwood then missed two 3-point tries on separate possessions in the final minute before Williams cemented the Warriors' second straight win with their 31st and 32nd made free throws.  Indian Hills' 32-of-45 performance at the foul line was a big reason for the Warriors' victory.

Ross hit back-to-back 3s early in the game as part of an 8-0 run that gave Indian Hills an early 11-3 lead.  IHCC eventually built the margin to 26-10.  A quick 12-2 burst got the Eagles back into the game, a preview of what would happen in the second half after the Warriors opened up a double-digit lead.

Ross led the IHCC scoring with 17 points.  Dustin Hogue added 14 before fouling out, one of three Warriors who exited with five fouls. 

Najeal Young's 26 points led KCC and Kasey Semler added 24.

Indian Hills swept its two games in the season-opening Blackwell Tire Classic and will host another tournament next weekend -- the Reed Overhead Doors Classic.  The Warriors take on Mid-Michigan CC on Friday night and Paris JC from Texas on Saturday.

INDIAN HILLS 94, KIRKWOOD 89

INDIAN HILLS  Jameel McKay 3 5-11 11, Richard Amardi 2 1-2 5, Trinson White 0 2-2 2, Dustin Hogue 2 10-13 14, Ronald Ross 6 3-5 17, Jelan Kendrick 3 5-6 11, Justin Moss 3 1-1 7, Frank Williams 3 0-0 9, Ronnie Stevens 1 0-0 2, Gary Williams, Jr. 5 5-5 16, Majok Deng 0 0-0 0  Team 28 32-45 94

KIRKWOOD  Kevin Hunter 2 1-2 5, Najeal Young 9 8-12 26, Derek Witt 2 0-0 4, J.C. Fuller 3 0-0 7, Taylor Olson 1 2-2 4,  Devan Douglas 4 0-1 9, Kasey Semler 6 8-8 24, Jalen Currie 1 2-5 4, Mike Lang 1 0-0 2, Gage Heffernan 1 2-2 4  Team 30 23-31 89

Halftime score: Indian Hills 45, Kirkwood 38; Three-point field goals: IHCC 6 (F. Williams 3, Ross 2, G. Williams 1), KCC 6 (Semler 4; Fuller, Douglas 1)

Saturday, November 3, 2012

Warriors Roll in Opener

Ottumwa -- Like most opening games, there was good and bad for head coach Barret Peery to analyze after Friday's IHCC game against Carl Sandburg College in the Blackwell Tire Classic.  But the second-year Indian Hills coach was obviously happy with the outcome, a 109-84 win for the fifth-ranked Warriors.

"We're still a work in progress," Peery said, "but I like our pieces so far."

The Warriors' coach had to like what he saw when Indian Hills put together two separate runs in the first half to break away from the visitors and grab a 48-29 halftime lead.

However, the Warriors weren't able to completely subdue the Cougars until the final minutes of the second half.  Carl Sandburg made more 3-pointers in the second half, eight, than they had total field goals in the first half.  They also forced 23 IHCC turnovers and shot 35 free throws, thanks to 29 Warrior fouls.

Indian Hills had too much firepower though with seven players in double figures and a decided rebounding advantage.  And the Warriors' press was reponsible for causing many of CSC's 29 turnovers.

Sophomore Jameel McKay picked up where he left off last year when he had double-doubles in all four games in the national tournament, on his way to being named to the all-tournament team.  McKay kept his streak alive Friday with a 20-point, 17-rebound effort.

He had six field goals in the first half, all of them off offensive rebounds.  And McKay had 13 rebounds at halftime.

Jelan Kendrick, who transferred to IHCC after a season in the SEC with Mississippi, helped provide support with 16 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double of his own.

Justin Moss and Ronald Ross illustrated the depth Peery feels he has with this year's Warrior team, both scoring in double figures -- 13 for Moss and 11 for Ross.  Ross also came up with five steals.

Three Indian Hills sophs, all in the starting lineup, also had double-figure scoring nights.  Frank Williams scored 11 and had three of IHCC's four 3-pointers, and Ronnie Stevens and Trinson White had 10 apiece.

Carl Sandburg placed four players in double figures, led by Marvin Nunn's 19 points and 18 f rom Seth Wickert.

The Warriors will get a stiff early test on Saturday night when Kirkwood, ranked 7th in the preseason in NJCAA Division II, battles IHCC at 7:00.  Kirkwood tuned up for the meeting with a 102-50 blowout of the William Penn JV in Friday's opening game.

INDIAN HILLS 109, CARL SANDBURG 84

INDIAN HILLS
Jameel McKay 10 0-1 20, Richard Amardi 2 0-0 4, Trinson White 5 0-1 10, Dustin Hogue 2 0-0 4, Ronald Ross 3 5-8 11, Jelan Kendrick 7 1-3 16, Justin Moss 6 1-1 13, Frank Williams 4 0-0 11, Ronnie Stevens 4 2-5 10, Gary Williams, Jr. 0 1-2 1, Martin Dixon-Green 2 3-5 7, Majok Deng 1 0-0 2, Gary Ross 0 0-0 0  Team 46 13-26 109

CARL SANDBURG
Seth Wickert 4 7-10 18, Marvin Austin 7 2-2 19, Zach Grover 1 2-2 5, Jerrell White 0 4-6 4, Juwan Hubbard 1 3-5 6, Jeremy Brown 1 0-0 2, Aaron Powers 6 2-2 14, Matt Sagona 1 0-0 3, Mitch Wendling 4 4-6 12, Anthony Misuraca 0 1-2 1, Javaunte Hicks 0 0-0 0  Team 25 25-35 84

Halftime score: Indian Hills 48, Carl Sandburg 29; Three-point field goals: IHCC 4 (F. Williams 3, Kendrick 1), CSC 9 (Wickert, Nunn 3; Grover, Hubbard, Sagona 1)  

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Warriors Start 2nd in Basketball Times Poll

OTTUMWA --- Indian Hills has picked up another top-five national ranking as the Warriors make final preparations for their season opener on Friday. Basketball Times has the Warriors number-two in their junior college Dandy Dozen preseason ratings. The magazine, with its November issue available at newsstands now, has been in existence for over three decades and is one of the most trusted sources of basketball news.


Tony Jimenez, a long-time follower of junior college hoops who wrote that section, described this year’s Indian Hills team as having a “deep roster led by 6-8 Jameel McKay and (6-4) Ronald Ross.”

McKay is number-three on the publication’s list of Super Sophomores, described as a “multi-talented player committed to Marquette.”

Northwest Florida State, whom Basketball Times reports has five of its top seven players are transfers, is ranked first and Iowa Western is fifth.

The Warriors were rated fifth in the NJCAA preseason poll that came out last week.

Indian Hills tips off the regular season against Carl Sandburg CC in the Blackwell Tire Classic on Friday night at 7:00.