Warriors Picked No. 1 By TSN

OTTUMWA --- For the second time in the past three years, the Indian Hills Warriors will enter the season as The Sporting News’ choice as the No. 1 team in the country.  In its college basketball preview magazine, currently on newsstands, TSN has the Warriors atop the national poll.

Indian Hills received the top ranking heading into the 2013-14 campaign, the same spot it occupied prior to the start of the 2011-12 season, Barret Peery’s first as IHCC head coach.  Peery’s two-year record is 60-8, including a 26-4 mark last year when the Warriors were prevented by the NJCAA from playing in the postseason.

In the magazine, TSN writer Tony Jimenez says Peery has “a gift of gab that has led to great recruiting success.”  The preview article also says the Warriors potentially have 10 major-college players on the roster.

That group includes transfer Quevyn Winters, who was named to the first team of the Super Sophomores list in the publication.  Winters played last season at Duquesne.  Another transfer, Lester Medford, who came to IHCC from Arizona Western, was named to the Super Sophs fourth team.

Asked about the No. 1 rating, Peery responded, “I think it’s a tremendous credit to our school, players and staff.  At Indian Hills we expect to be in this position, but also know that we have a great responsibility to live up to what is expected.”

Two of IHCC’s conference rivals are also in the preseason top-10, Iowa Western  8^th and Southeastern 10^th.  The two teams Indian Hills will play in a November tournament in Florida, Northwest Florida State and Chipola, are ranked 4^th and 7^th, respectively.

Based on what he’s seen so far this fall, Peery likes his team and their potential.  “We have a really good group that I am excited about,” the coach said.  “We have a chance to be as good as anybody when it’s most important.  And we have players that really fit our program on and off the court.  It will be a fun group to watch.”

The last time Indian Hills entered the season ranked No. 1, they went 33-4 and finished 7^th at the national tournament.   

Buycks Signs with Toronto

OTTUMWA --- Former Indian Hills Community College basketball star Dwight Buycks has found a home in the NBA.  The Toronto Raptors announced this week they have signed Buycks to a contract, financial details of which were not released.

A two-time All-American at Indian Hills, Buycks played two seasons at Marquette University in his hometown of Milwaukee, Wis., after leaving IHCC.  He was with Gravelines in the French Pro A league this past year, leading the team in scoring with 18.0 points and adding 3.2 rebounds and 2.9 assists.

His first season out of college, Buycks spent the year with the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League and averaged 15.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.6 assists.

A 2009 IHCC graduate, Buycks was a two-time first-team All-Region choice with the Warriors and was a first-team All-American after his sophomore season, adding to the honorable mention All-American honors he received as a freshman.

Buycks ended his career as one of the leading scorers in IHCC history, netting 1,254 points in two seasons.

Ex-Warrior Gets College Coaching Post

Chattanooga, Tenn. -- Former Indian Hills Community College basketball standout Johnny Taylor has been added to the coaching staff at Tennessee-Chattanooga.  Taylor played one season at IHCC after transferring from Knoxville (Tenn.) College and then two seasons at Chattanooga before embarking on a long professional career.

A native of Chattanooga, Taylor is 26 hours short of completing his degree in Criminal Justiec at his alma mater, where he played for the most successful team in school history.  He will be a student assistant coach during the upcoming season.

"It's an amazing opportunity," Taylor said.  "I am excited beyond words and very thankful to be able to finish my degree and get my foot in the door in the coaching profession."

Taylor was at Indian Hills for the 1994-95 campaign and became eligible to play for the Warriors at mid-season.  He averaged 19.3 points and 8.0 rebounds over the final 19 games and helped lead IHCC to a 31-3 record and to within one game of a trip to the national tournament.  He had nine games of 20 or more points, including six in a row.

From Indian Hills, Taylor went back to his hometown and he starred for the 1997 UTC squad that made the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament with Taylor leading the Mocs in scoring his senior year.

Chosen by Orlando as the 17th pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, Taylor played four seasons in the NBA and then 11 more seasons overseas with stints in countries such as Italy, Spain and Russia. 

Louisiana HS Star Comes to IHCC

OTTUMWA --- A former Louisiana high school athlete who had his high school basketball career cut short by an injury is coming to Indian Hills Community College to resume his hoops career.

J.R. Harris, 6’4” and 185 pounds, suffered a serious knee injury playing football his junior season at Redemptorist HS in Baton Rouge, La. and that forced him to miss his junior and senior basketball seasons.  Harris, a defensive back, tore his ACL in a mid-season game in the fall of 2011.

At the time, he was considered a potential college player in both football and basketball.  His former high school football coach said, “You can tell (J.R.) is the son of a coach.  There’s not a doubt in my mind that he could play either sport on the college level.”

Harris’ dad was a volunteer assistant women’s basketball coach at Southern University.

But it’s basketball where Harris has decided to make his mark.  And IHCC coach Barret Peery loves the way Harris plays the game and his effort to be a great player.  “J.R. is a long athlete that is very skilled,” Peery said.  “He is the prototype for the kind of player we like to have.  He has very good range with his shot and a very good feel for the game.”

The last time Harris played prep basketball was his sophomore season, when he averaged 19.8 points and 9.0 rebounds and was voted MVP of his district.  At that time, he played forward. 

Now two inches taller, Harris is expected to be a guard for the Warriors.

Winters Comes on Board

OTTUMWA --- A second NCAA Division I transfer has decided to continue his basketball career at Indian Hills.  Quevyn Winters, originally from Milwaukee, Wis., will join the IHCC program after one season at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.

Winters, a 6’5” forward, played in all 30 games for the Dukes last year, starting the final eight.  He was third on the team in scoring with a 9.6 average and his 55 3-pointers led the team.  At one stretch he made at least one three in 10 straight games.

IHCC coach Barret Peery says Winters is a big athlete that really shoots the three well and is talented around the rim.  “Quevyn’s experience at the D-1 level last year will make his transition to Indian Hills very smooth,” Peery said.  “His stats show he had a lot of success as a freshman and I would think he has a chance to do great things here next season.”

Winters scored a season-high 22 points in a game at Temple, which lost to Indiana in the third round of the NCAA Tournament.  His scoring average was 10.4 in Atlantic 10 play and 13.1 as a starter late in the season.  Overall he shot 38 percent from three-point range and 74 percent at the foul line and improved those percentages in conference games.

“Quevyn has a tremendous feel and understanding for the game and he’ll be a great fit at Indian Hills,” said Peery.

After starting his high school career at Washington HS in Milwaukee, Winters ended it by averaging 22 points and nine rebounds for M.A.C.K Academy in North Carolina.

Winters joins Marcus Posley, who played last year at Ball State, as D-1 transfers on next year’s IHCC roster. 

 

Posley Joins Warriors

OTTUMWA --- Indian Hills Community College basketball coach Barret Peery has utilized a handful of NCAA Division I transfers to help compile a 59-8 record in his first two seasons at IHCC.  So it’s no surprise that he is tapping into that area again as he gets ready for the 2013-14 campaign.

Marcus Posley, who played in 30 games for Ball State University last year as a freshman, has signed to attend Indian Hills.  Posley is a 6’1”, 200-pound guard from Rockford, Ill., whom Peery says “is very talented and can do a lot with the basketball.”

Indian Hills will need to replace the top two three-point shooters from last year’s team, Ronald Ross and Frank Williams, and Posley should help fill that void.

“Marcus has fantastic range on his shot and I expect him to make a lot of 3s for us next year,” the IHCC coach said.  “He can also play multiple positions and handles the ball well in transition.”

Posley made eight starts for Ball State, a Mid-American Conference member, all of them in the final nine games of the season.  He averaged 6.5 points for the year with a high game of 20.  He also led the team with an average of 2.9 assists per game.

In his high school career, Posley earned three letters in basketball and was also a standout track athlete.  He was a three-time all-conference choice in basketball.

Peery concluded his assessment of Posley by saying, “He’s a very tough kid from a great family.”

Hoops Camp Dates Set

OTTUMWA --- The dates have been set for the basketball summer camp at Indian Hills Community College.  Coach Barret Peery will hold the camp from July 29 through Aug. 1 in the Hellyer Student  Life Center on the IHCC Ottumwa campus.

The camp is for boys and girls ages 5-13.  It will run from 9am to noon all four days.  The IHCC coaching staff and current players will provide the instruction.

Cost of the camp is $60 and registration can be taken care of online prior to July 29 or from 8am to 9am the first day of the camp.

Each camper will receive a special t-shirt and ideas and drills for them to develop their basketball skills.

There will be daily awards and instructional stations and games every day.

For more information on the camp, contact assistant coach John Wardenburg at 641-683-5683 or John.Wardenburg@indianhills.edu.

Warriors Sign Medford

OTTUMWA --- A player who was an NJCAA All-American two years ago will be coming to Indian Hills to continue his basketball career.  IHCC coach Barret Peery has signed Lester Medford, a 5’11”, 185-pound, point guard from Tucson, Arizona to a letter-of-intent.

As a freshman at Arizona Western, Medford was named a second-team All-American, first-team All-Conference, first-team All-Region and the region’s Freshman of the Year in leading his team to the region championship.  He averaged 17.9 points, scoring 20 or more in a game a dozen times, 4.1 assists and 2.1 steals while shooting 39.3 percent from three-point range.

Peery said that “Lester’s experience as a freshman and the success that he had will be great for us here at Indian Hills.”

Asked what he likes about Medford’s game, Peery said, “Lester will bring great speed and quickness to our team.  He really fits how we play with his athleticism and he is a really talented offensive player.”

Medford led his Amphitheater High School team in Tucson, Ariz. to a 29-2 record and a state championship as a senior.  He was a three-year starter there and posted averages of 19.2 points, four assists and three steals as a senior.  He sat out last year after his lone season at Arizona Western.

Frank Williams Latest Warrior to Sign

Ottumwa -- Frank Williams took a serious look at a handful of Division I schools where he would continue his education and basketball career.  In the end, the 6-7 guard from Kansas City, Mo. chose to sign with a school only a few minutes from his home.

Williams signed a national letter of intent with the University of Missouri-Kansas City and will play for new coach Kareem Richardson with the Kangaroos.

After a freshman season in which he was sidelined for eight games with an injury, Williams emerged as a sophomore to be one of IHCC's best outside shooters.  He made 62 3s, second on the team, and shot 38 percent from 3-point range.

Williams averaged 12.2 points a game as a soph with a high game of 27.  He reached double figures in points in 19 games and was the only IHCC player to appear in all 30 games.

Williams nearly doubled his scoring average from his freshman year, when he scored 6.4 points while playing in 14 games.  He suffered a broken bone in his arm in an early-season game at Ellsworth and missed eight games.

"I chose to attend UMKC to play basketball for coach Richardson because I feel that he will run a system that has been very successful in the college game today," said Williams.  "Also, because the university is in my hometown, I have the opportunity to play in front of my friends and family."

Richardson took over the UMKC program this spring after serving as an assistant under Rick Pitino at Louisville.  He said, "Frank brings our team experience and a tremendous ability to make shots.  We couldn't be more excited to have Frank become a part of the UMKC family."

Williams is the eighth player from this past season's Indian Hills team to sign with a Division I school.

Ross, Ndiaye Ink DI Letters

Ottumwa -- The number of Indian Hills basketball players headed to Division I schools after this year grew to seven on Wednesday when Ronald Ross signed a national letter-of-intent with Middle Tennessee and Rawane Ndiaye signed with the University of Tennessee.

Ross played this past season at Indian Hills after a freshman campaign at Vincennes (Ind.) where he was named an NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American.

With the Warriors, the guard from Indianapolis, Ind., averaged 14.5 points a game, second on the team, and led IHCC with 65 3-pointers, shooting over 40% from behind the arc.

Middle Tennessee loses six players off last season's team that finished 28-5 and qualified for the NCAA tournament.  MTSU coach Kermit Davis said, "Ronald has scored everywhere he's been.  He was the second-leading scorer on maybe the most talented junior college team in the country.  He is a physical guard and can really shoot the ball  from three.  He's going to be a really good player for us."

Ross will be the third former IHCC player to suit up for the Blue Raiders, joining LaRon Dendy and James Washington, both of whom had success after going there following their Indian Hills careers.

Ndiaye missed the first 10 games of his sophomore season after breaking a bone in his foot in the preseason.  He played in 15 games and averaged 2.9 points and 3.5 rebounds a game.  Those numbers are close to those of Ndiaye's freshman year at IHCC when he averaged 2.0 points and 2.5 rebounds.

Indian Hills coach Barret Peery was happy with the progress Ndiaye made during his two seasons with the Warriors and is optimistic he will continue to improve now that he is healthy again.

Five Warriors -- Jameel McKay (Marquette), Dustin Hogue (Iowa State), Richard Amardi (Iowa State), Jelan Kendrick (UNLV) and Trinson White (Wisconsin-Milwaukee) -- all signed letters-of-intent during the early signing period last fall.

McKay Repeats as First-Team All-American

OTTUMWA --- Jameel McKay is the first Indian Hills Community College basketball player to be named a first-team All-American two times.  McKay was selected to the National Junior College Athletic Association’s All-American squad for 2012-13, duplicating the honor he received as a freshman.

McKay, a Milwaukee, Wis. native, led the Warriors in both scoring and rebounding the past two years, increasing his averages to 18.2 points and 11.0 rebounds last season after averaging 14.6 points and 7.7 rebounds as a freshman. 

In his sophomore season, McKay shot 57 percent from the floor, averaged two blocks a game and went over the 1,000-point mark, finishing his stellar career at IHCC with 1,022 points.

He scored in double figures in 59 of the 63 games he played at Indian Hills, including 27 of 28 games with 10 or more points last season.

McKay played a key role on Warriors teams that were 59-8 in two years.  As a freshman he helped lead IHCC to the national tournament, where he was named to the all-tournament team after posting double-doubles in all four games at the tourney.  He totaled 61 points and 50 rebounds as the Warriors recovered from an opening-game loss to win their next three games.

One of Barret Peery’s first recruits when he took over as head coach in 2011, McKay was also a first-team all-region choice the last two years.

“I’m so proud of Jameel and the honors he has been given,” Peery said.  “He has been a tremendous worker for us and was all about winning.  Our basketball family couldn’t be happier for him.  He has had great teammates and coaches around him that have all been a part of his success.”

McKay, an all-city pick coming out of high school in Milwaukee, will be going back home to continue his education and basketball career, having signed last fall to attend Marquette University.

Warriors Put Four on All-Region Team

Ottumwa -- Indian Hills had two repeat selections on the All-Region 11 basketball team announced by the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference.

The Warriors’ Jameel McKay was a first-team all-region choice for the second year in a row and Dustin Hogue was a second-team selection, as he was last year.

The other IHCC players who made the all-region team both played one year at Indian Hills after transferring prior to their sophomore season.  Ronald Ross, who played at Vincennes (Ind.) as a freshman, received second-team honors, and Jelan Kendrick, who was at the University of Mississippi for his freshman campaign, was an honorable mention pick.

McKay led Indian Hills in scoring and rebounding for the second year in a row.  He averaged 18.2 points and nearly 11 rebounds a game this season, increasing his freshman averages of 14.6 points and 7.7 rebounds, numbers which helped him garner first-team All-American honors last year.  As a soph, McKay shot 57 percent from the field and averaged two blocks a game while scoring in double figures in 27 of the 28 games he played.  He surpassed the 1,000-point total for his career late in the season and wound up his two-year stint at IHCC with 1,022 points.

Hogue also boosted his scoring average as a sophomore, tallying 12.6 points a game compared to 11.1 as a freshman, while his rebound average stayed the same at around 5.5 boards a game.  He started 41 games over the past two seasons and scored 740 points.  His 23 starting assignments this year tied McKay for the team lead.

Ross came to IHCC after he was named an honorable mention All-American at Vincennes.  He was the second-leading scorer for the Warriors, averaging 14.5 points a game, and led the team in three-pointers with 65.  He shot over 42 percent from three-point range and also led the Warriors in steals.

In his lone season at Indian Hills, Kendrick topped the team in assists, dishing out around four a game, while scoring 12.3 points a contest.  He fought through a mid-season shoulder injury to score in double figures in 11 of the final 13 games.

Postseason Ban Ends Warriors' Season

Ottumwa -- The National Junior College Athletic Association Monday denied an appeal submitted by Indian Hills Community College and upheld a ruling that prohibits IHCC from playing any postseason basketball games.

The postseason ban was issued for a violation of NJCAA rules committed by Indian Hills stemming from incidents that occurred following the Warriors' game at Southeastern CC on Feb. 16.  An on-court melee after that game resulted in IHCC's Ronald Ross being arrested.

Ross was jailed after his arrest and was released after IHCC president Dr. Jim Lindenmayer posted bail for Ross.  Dr. Lindenmayer subsequently self-reported the violation on the Tuesday following the game after he was made aware of an NJCAA rule that prohibits college officials from posting bail for a student-athlete.

Indian Hills had five players suspended for their actions in the moments after the SCC game and all of those players were forced to sit out the Warriors' final two regular season games.

The NJCAA ban on Indian Hills' playing in the postseason was handed down last week with the organization then issuing its ruling against IHCC's appeal of the penalty on Monday.

This is a statement from Dr. Lindenmayer following Monday's announcement:

“Late Saturday (Feb. 16), after everyone was on their way home, I bailed a student-athlete out of jail. I was unaware of the rule, but I knew that I did not want to leave a player behind at an out-of-town facility under those circumstances.  I feel strongly that when we leave our campus with students in our care it is our duty to return them safely to campus.  This is what I would expect of any staff member and what I would expect as a parent of a child under college supervision.  I feel the penalty is very harsh, especially in light of our record for following NJCAA rules.  I sincerely apologize to our fans and the entire Indian Hills community.  Coach Peery, his staff and players have worked very hard on this great season. Obviously this was a very unfortunate incident with lots of regrets from many people. “

The Warriors end their season with a 26-4 record.  They won the conference championship with a 7-1 mark and had the second-highest offensive average of any Division I school, scoring 97.9 points a game.  Indian Hills was ranked third in the NJCAA poll that was released following the double-overtime win over Southeastern, their 12th consecutive victory, a season high.

Warriors Closes Regular Season With Loss to MCC

Ottumwa -- Indian Hills saw its long home court winning streak come to an end Saturday night in a 88-78 loss to Marshalltown CC in the final regular season game for both teams.  The defeat, coupled with a road loss at Moberly on Tuesday, also gave the Warriors (26-4, 7-1) back-to-back losses for the first time in two years.

It was the first time in 37 home games under second-year coach Barret Peery that IHCC failed to get a  victory.  And it was the only defeat in eight regular season conference games for the Warriors.

Marshalltown (22-8, 3-5) was in control virtually the entire game in avenging an earlier loss to Indian Hills that was accomplished when IHCC's Ronald Ross drilled a 3-pointer at the buzzer.  Ross was one of five Warriors who missed the MCC game, serving the second game of suspensions handed down after the SCC game a week before.

Indian Hills took their first lead in this contest against the Tigers when Martin Dixon-Green, making his first start of the season, hit a 3-pointer for a 13-12 score.  The Warriors' Jameel McKay, who was superb with 21 points and 16 rebounds, later tied the score at 17-all.

An 18-7 run allowed MCC to go ahead by 11 and the Tigers took a 40-34 lead at intermission.

After trailing by nine points early in the second half, Indian Hills managed to tie the score three times, the last at 51-51.  Chris Caird's jump shot gave MCC the lead, part of a 17-point second half for theTiger sophomore. 

Marshalltown would eventually stretch the advantage to 12 points at 74-62.  Indian Hills rallied to within four at 79-75 on a basket by Jelan Kendrick with 1:22 to play, but couldn't get any closer and MCC sealed the win at the free throw line.

Caird's 21 points led the Tigers, whose biggest contribution may have come from Jamal Gatali, who hit five 3s and scored 20 points.  Frank Williams added 17 to McKay's 21 points for the Warriors.

MARSHALLTOWN 88, INDIAN HILLS 78

INDIAN HILLS

Jameel McKay 8 5-6 21, Trinson White 4 0-0 11, Jelan Kendrick 5 2-3 12, Frank Williams 7 0-0 17, Gary Williams, Jr. 2 4-6 8, Martin Dixon-Green 2 0-0 5, Majok Deng 2 0-0 4 Gary Ross 0 0-0 0 Team 30 11-15 78

MARSHALLTOWN

Rahiem Holloway 3 2-3 8, Matej Delinac 2 5-6 11, Chris Caird 6 7-8 21, Jamal Gatali 7 1-2 20, Troidell Carter 6 0-0 12, Cameron Robinson 2 4-6 8, Jamyles Coleman 0 0-0 0 Lamont Adair 4 0-0 8  Team 30 19-25 88

Halftime score: Marshalltown 40, Indian Hills 34; Three-point field goals: MCC 9 (Gatali 5; Delinac, Caird 2), IHCC 7 (White, F. Williams 3; Dixon-Green 1)

 

Short-Handed IHCC Falls at Moberly

Moberly, Mo. -- Indian Hills saw its 12-game winning streak snapped and suffered only its third loss of the season on Tuesday night when the Moberly Greyhounds slammed the Warriors, 84-64.

Moberly (22-7) pulled away from a 2-2 tie to lead by as many as 17 points in the first half.  The Warriors (26-3) finally got going offensively in the latter stages of the half and cut the deficit to 38-30 by halftime.

Indian Hills had just eight players available for the game with five IHCC squad members serving the first game of suspensions handed down by the conference office as a result of last Saturday's post-game fracas at Southeastern.

After showing signs of life at the end of the opening half, the Warriors couldn't get closer than four points in the second half, the last time at 58-54. 

Mike Anderson, who led Moberly with 22 points, hit a 3-pointer to start a 13-0 run for the Greyhounds and IHCC never threatened again.

Anderson scored all but two of his points in the second half.

One of the lone bright spots for the Warriors came when their scoring leader, Jameel McKay, scored his seventh and final field goal of the night late in the second half, a basket that put him over the 1,000-point mark for his career.

McKay is now at 1,001 points, the first IHCC player to surpass 1,000 points since teammates Dwight Buycks and Dwight Hardy both passed the milestone in the 2008-09 season.

Frank Williams led four Indian Hills players in double figures against Moberly with 17 points.  Trinson White, on the strength of three 3-pointers in the second half, had 13 and Jelan Kendrick 12.

Indian Hills will close out the regular season Saturday night by hosting Marshalltown CC at the Hellyer Center.

MOBERLY 84, INDIAN HILLS 64

INDIAN HILLLS

Jameel McKay 7 0-0 14, Trinson White 4 2-2 13, Jelan Kendrick 6 0-2 12, Frank Williams 5 5-5 17, Gary Williams, Jr. 0 2-2 2, Martin Dixon-Green 0 0-0 0, Majok Deng 3 0-0 6, Gary Ross 0 0-0 0 Team 25 9-11 64

MOBERLY

Mike Anderson 7 5-6 22, Kevin Jordan 3 0-0 6, Rayshawn Simmons 4 0-0 9, Trent Washington 3 1-1 8, Evan Singletary 3 0-0 8, T.J. White 7 0-0 15, Malcolm Hamilton 0 0-0 0, Brennen Hughes 8 0-0 16  Team 35 6-7 84

Halftime score: Moberly 38, Indian Hills 30; Three-point field goals: MACC 8 (Anderson 3; Singletary 2; Simmons, Washington, White 1), IHCC 5 ( White 3, F. Williams 2) 

Warriors Stage Big Comeback to Down SCC

West Burlington, Iowa – In one of the biggest comebacks in school history, Indian Hills overcame a 24-point second-half deficit and knocked off Southeastern CC, 104-99, in double overtime at Loren Walker Arena on Saturday night.

The Warriors got a shot at the buzzer at the end of regulation from Jelan Kendrick to force the first overtime, a 3-pointer by Majok Deng to knot the score at the end of the first OT and then another three by Deng to go ahead for good in the second extra session to stay undefeated in conference play.

Third-ranked Indian Hills won its 12^th game in a row and improved its league record to 7-0, clinching the outright title for the second year in a row.

Things looked bleak for the Warriors when SCC went on top 56-32 with three minutes gone in the second half.  Jordan Stevens, who poured in a game-high 41 points, hit a 3-pointer to end the first half to give the Blackhawks a 51-28 halftime advantage.  Stevens hit another three early in the second half and the Warriors were in serious trouble.

The IHCC comeback started with 12 consecutive points, six of them by Kendrick.

Indian Hills’ pressure defense started to cause SCC some problems and the Blackhawks, who had 21 field goals in the first half to just nine for IHCC, went cold from the field.

A dunk by Kendrick shaved the SCC lead to three with over 10 minutes to play and completed a 25-4 run for the visitors.

Southeastern, though, refused to give up the lead, holding off the Warriors thanks to Stevens and Warren Jones.  Jones scored eight points in one two-minute stretch and his second straight three built the lead back to 12 at 76-64 with a little under five minutes left.

Indian Hills outscored the Blackhawks 16-4 the rest of regulation with Kendrick providing the heroics in the final seconds of the second half.

The SCC lead was 80-74 after Stevens made two foul shots with 19.4 seconds remaining.

Kendrick was fouled and hit one of two free throws with 14.2 seconds on the clock.  After an SCC turnover Kendrick hit a 3-pointer to trim the lead to 80-78 with 6.2 seconds to play.

The Warriors fouled immediately and Stevens missed the front end of a one-and-one.  Kendrick rebounded the errant foul shot, dribbled the length of the floor and hit a running shot in the lane at the horn to force overtime.

Frank Williams gave IHCC its first lead of the game when he opened the scoring in the first OT.  But after Dontay Jackson scored on consecutive breakaway layups SCC was on top 89-84. 

That’s when Deng stepped up for the Warriors.  The freshman nailed one three to cut the lead to two, and after the Blackhawks made a free throw to make it 90-87, Deng buried another trey to send the game to a second OT.

Kendrick hit two free throws to start the next overtime. Joe Scott gave SCC a brief lead with a 3-pointer, but Deng sank another three and the Warriors didn’t trail again.

Stevens scored the final six points for his team, but with SCC trailing 101-98 with one minute to play, he made just one of two foul shots and the Warriors closed out the game with two free throws by Gary Williams, Jr. and one by Jameel McKay in the last 25 seconds.

McKay’s 30 points led Indian Hills.  He had 16 points, Dustin Hogue 13 and Kendrick 12 in the second half when IHCC outscored the hosts 52-29.

Stevens made four threes at the end of the first half to cap a 20-point half for the freshman guard.  Indian Hills’ nine first-half field goals and 28 points were lows for the season.

Southeastern jumped on the Warriors early, scoring the first ten points in just three minutes, and steadily building their advantage thanks in large part to the hot shooting of Stevens.

Most comebacks of the size of IHCC’s are fueled by 3-pointers, but Kendrick’s trey in the last minute of regulation was only the second of the game for the Warriors.  Deng, then, drilled three in the overtimes.

The Blackhawks, 20-9 overall, close conference play with a 3-5 record and wait to see where they will be seeded for Region 11’s postseason tourney.  The Warriors take a 26-2 record to Moberly (Mo.) on Tuesday for their final non-conference game of the regular season.

Indian Hills returns home to host Marshalltown CC on Saturday night.  The Warriors will play their first postseason contest at home on Feb. 25 and, if they win, would host the region title game on Mar. 2.

Saturday’s game was marred by a melee at the end of the second overtime with players, coaches and fans from both teams filling the floor after the buzzer sounded.  There were a number of brief flare-ups before order was finally restored. 

INDIAN HILLS 104, SOUTHEASTERN 99 (2OT)

INDIAN HILLS

Jameel McKay 12 6-9 30, Richard Amardi 0 1-4 1, Trinson White 0 0-0 0, Dustin Hogue 7 7-13 21, Ronald Ross 1 1-3 3, Jelan Kendrick 6 3-4 16, Frank Williams 4 3-4 12, Ronnie Stevens 1 0-0 2, Gary Williams, Jr. 2 4-4 8, Martin Dixon-Green 0 0-0 0, Majok Deng 4 0-0 11  Team 37 25-41 104

SOUTHEASTERN

Warren Jones 5 0-0 12, Jordan Stevens 14 7-12 41, Tyrie Orosco 2 1-1 5, Ar-Tese Harris 2 0-0 4, Nick Lyon 0 0-2 0, Dontay Jackson 4 0-1 8, Marlon Cort 3 0-0 8,  Joe Scott 4 1-2 11, Debonair Edwards 4 2-5 10  Team 38 11-23 99

Halftime score: Southeastern 51, Indian Hills 28; Three-point field goals: SCC 12 (Stevens 6; Jones, Cort, Scott 2), IHCC 5 (Deng 3; F. Williams, Kendrick 1)

Warriors Take Showdown at Iowa Western

Council Bluffs, Iowa – Despite their lowest point total in two years, the Indian Hills Warriors clinched at least a share of another conference championship with a 67-59 win over Iowa Western on Saturday night in a battle between two teams ranked in the top five nationally.

No. 5 Indian Hills (25-2, 6-0) turned the game around by outscoring fourth-ranked Iowa Western 17-2 at the end of the first half.  The Warriors then held off the Reivers in the second half, even though IHCC only made six field goals after halftime.

Both of Iowa Western’s losses this year have been to the Warriors, who won their 11^th straight game overall and their seventh in a row against Iowa Western (24-2, 4-2).  Indian Hills is 20-2 against the Reivers over the last seven years.

Ronald Ross led the Warriors with 20 points, seven of them coming in the final 1:23 of the first half.  Ross made a pair of free throws in the final seconds of the half and then, after an Iowa Western turnover, nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give IHCC a 39-26 lead at the half.

Ross started the second half with a basket to put the lead at 15, the largest of the game, and Iowa Western spent the rest of the night chipping away at the deficit.

Twice IWCC’s Josiah Coleman made it a three-point game, the second time at 60-57.  Devin Brooks missed a potential tying three with 2:43 left, and Tyrone Haughton made one of two free throws to get the Reivers to within two points.

Dustin Hogue gave Indian Hills a little breathing room by scoring on a putback with a little over a minute remaining. 

The Warriors then made five-of-six foul shots in the final minute, the first two by Gary Williams, Jr., who was a perfect 8-for-8 for the game.  He helped fill in for starting point guard Jelan Kendrick, who is sidelined with a shoulder separation.

Williams had 14 points and Hogue 10.

On a night when he made only 2-of-14 shots from the field, Warriors’ scoring leader Jameel McKay grabbed 18 rebounds.

The game was tied four times in the first half until Brooks put IWCC ahead 24-22 with two free throws.  That’s when Indian Hills took off.

After tying the score at 24-all, the Warriors got consecutive field goals from Richard Amardi.  McKay and Amardi each scored inside and then Ross stepped up at the end of the first half, with his three as the half ended reminiscent of his game-winning 3-pointer two weeks earlier at Marshalltown.

The Warriors’ run to close the opening half was identical to the one they had in the earlier meeting with Iowa Western, when IHCC ended the Reivers’ 20-game winning streak to open the season.

Brooks had 14 points to lead Iowa Western and Coleman and Tavian Pomlee each added 11.

The 21 field goals for Indian Hills were the fewest they’ve had in the past two years, but they helped themselves by making 22-of-32 free throws, outscoring the Reivers 22-11 from the foul line.

With the win, Indian Hills clinches no worse than a share of the conference title –they own a two-game lead with two games to play.  It means they’ll have home court advantage throughout the Region 11 postseason tournament.  And home is where they want to be, winning all 16 home games this year and 36 straight over the last two seasons.

The Warriors are idle until playing at Southeastern CC on Saturday night.  Their final two regular season games are the following week – at Moberly (Mo.) on Feb. 19 and at home against Marshalltown Feb. 23.  The postseason begins the next week.

INDIAN HILLS 67, IOWA WESTERN 59

INDIAN HILLS

Jameel McKay 2 3-6 7, Richard Amardi 4 0-0 8, Dustin Hogue 3 4-8 10, Ronald Ross 7 4-6 20, Gary Ross 0 0-0 0, Trinson White 0 2-2 2, Frank Williams 2 0-0 5, Ronnie Stevens 0 1-2 1, Gary Williams, Jr. 3 8-8 14, Majok Deng 0 0-0 0, Rawane Ndiaye 0 0-0 0  Team 21 22-32 67

IOWA WESTERN

Devin Brooks 6 2-4 14, Dinjihl Walker 2 2-5 7, Tavian Pomlee 4 2-2 11, Tyrone Haughton 1 2-5 4, Josiah Coleman 4 3-4 11, Ryan Bowie 4 0-0 10, Michael Hudson 0 0-0 0, Kashief Thomas 1 0-0 2  Team 22 11-20 59

Halftime score: Indian Hills 39, Iowa Western 26; Three-point field goals: IHCC 3 (R. Ross 2, F. Williams 1), IWCC 4 (Bowie 2; Walker, Pomlee 1)

Warriors Complete Season Sweep of Three Rivers

Ottumwa -- Ronald Ross and Frank Williams both scored 12 of their 16 points in the second half and Indian Hills used that production to pull away from visiting Three Rivers CC over the final 20 minutes and defeat the Raiders, 100-66, on Tuesday night.

The win was the 16th straight at home this season for the Warriors and their 36th in a row since the start of the 2011-12 season.

Indian Hills, who earlier in the day was elevated to the No. 5 spot in the NJCAA national poll, improved to 24-2 for the season and now prepares for this Saturday's trip to Council Bluffs and a showdown with No. 4 Iowa Western.  The Warriors lead IWCC by one game in the conference standings and can clinch at least a tie for the league title with a win.

Indian Hills and Three Rivers were locked in a one-point game with just under eight minutes to go in the first half Tuesday.  The Warriors then went on a 12-0 run over the next three minutes to build a 13-point lead and they were never in trouble again. 

Ronnie Stevens, who had a double-double while getting extended playing time, scored the first four points in the run and Richard Amardi, who tallied 14 for the game, accounted for the final four.

The lead was still at 13 points heading into the second half and then the Warriors took off.  They erupted for 31 points in the first 8 1/2 minutes of the half and the lead had grown to over 30 points by the midpoint of the half.  The largest lead was 37 points.

Frank Williams had 10 of his 16 points in a two-minute stretch in which he made two 3s and two layups, finishing one of the fast breaks with a slam dunk.

After struggling to find the range from three-point territory in the first half, Indian Hills made eight 3s in the last half, with six different players making at least one trey.  Three Rivers hit only 2-of-16 from behind the arc for the game.

Stevens had 11 points and 10 rebounds and Amardi also had a double-double with 11 rebounds to go along with his 14 points.

Ibrahim Djambo had 21 and Ayinde Sprewell 18 for the Raiders, who are 13-12.

INDIAN HILLS 100, THREE RIVERS 66

INDIAN HILLS

Richard Amardi 6 2-2 14, Trinson White 1 0-0 3, Dustin Hogue 4 0-0 10, Ronald Ross 5 5-5 16, Jelan Kendrick 2 3-5 7, Frank Williams 7 0-0 16, Ronnie Stevens 3 5-6 11, Gary Williams, Jr. 1 1-2 3, Martin Dixon-Green 3 0-0 7, Majok Deng 3 0-0 8, Gary Ross 1 0-0 2, Rawane Ndiaye 1 1-2 3  Team 37 17-22 100

THREE RIVERS

Ibrahim Djambo 6 8-10 21, Jalen Lacy 3 3-3 9, Ayinde Sprewell 5 8-15 18, Eli Sample 2 0-0 4, John Meyer 1 0-0 2, Brandon Strickland 1 0-0 3, Jordan McGowan 0 1-3 1, Will Hollifield 0 0-0 0, Nelson Ollie 1 2-2 4, James Macklin 0 0-0 0, Cameron Ross 1 0-0 2, Eljie Johnson 1 0-0 2  Team 21 22-33 66

Halftime score: Indian Hills 43, Three Rivers 30; Three-point field goals: IHCC 9 (Hogue, F. Williams, Deng 2; White, Dixon-Green, R. Ross 1), TRCC 2 (Djambo, Strickland 1)

IHCC Stays Perfect in Region With Win Against Northeast

Ottumwa -- Indian Hills kept its Region 11 conference record perfect and ran its current winning streak to nine games on Saturday night, but the Warriors had a much more difficult time with Northeast (Neb.) than in the earlier meeting on Jan. 16.  The Warriors, who had drubbed the Hawks, 120-89, last month on Northeast's home floor, had to battle the entire 40 minutes in the return encounter before prevailing, 106-95.

The game wasn't decided until IHCC put together a late 12-4 run after Northeast had crept to within five points at 94-89 with 4 1/2 minutes to play.

Indian Hills tried to break away, taking a double-digit lead once near the end of the first half and two more times in the second half, only to see NCC get the lead back to as little as four points.

The 95 points the Hawks scored were the second-most the Warriors have given up in a game this year, topped only by the 96 scored by Southern Idaho in an overtime loss IHCC suffered in November.

Indian Hills topped 100 points for the 12th time in 25 games and ran its conference record to 5-0, one game ahead of Iowa Western in the league standings.

The game was tied six times and there were five lead changes in the opening half.  Richard Amardi, one of five Warriors in double figures with 16 points, had two consecutive field goals after the score was tied at 29 and Indian Hills never trailed again. 

It was tied at 42-all and IHCC then outscored the Hawks, 15-6, the rest of the first half to go ahead by nine at halftime.

The lead grew to 14 early in the second half and that was the largest lead for Indian Hills.  The late charge for the Warriors started with a free throw and then Majok Deng got his only basket to make it 97-89.  Jameel McKay, who scored 17, hit a pair of free throws to build the advantage to 10 and the Warriors were home free.

Dustin Hogue led Indian Hills with a season-high 24-point output.  Ronald Ross added 18.  Amardi's 16 points tied his season-high.

Sean McGary paced five double-figure scorers for Northeast with 23 points.

The win was the 15th straight at home this season for IHCC and their 35th in a row over the last two years.  They will put those streaks on the line in a non-conference game with Three Rivers CC on Tuesday night before traveling to Council Bluffs for a showdown with Iowa Western on Saturday.


INDIAN HILLS 106, NORTHEAST  95

INDIAN HILLS

Jameel McKay 6 5-10 17, Richard Amardi 6 4-4 16, Dustin Hogue 9 4-7 24, Ronald Ross 8 0-0 18, Jelan Kendrick 7 2-6 16, Frank Williams 2 0-0 4, Ronnie Stevens 1 4-4 6, Gary Williams, Jr. 1 1-2 3, Majok Deng 1 0-0 2, Rawane Ndiaye 0 0-0 0  Team 41 20-33 106

NORTHEAST 

K.J. Bluford 6 0-0 17, Khapri Alston 6 2-6 14, Kyle Kilgore 4 6-9 14, Sean Scott 5 2-2 13, Sean McGary 8 7-10 23, Jabbar Washington 1 1-2 4, Rasheed Fairley 2 0-2 4, Corey Mitchell 1 0-0 2, Blake Heppner 1 2-2 4, Oral Rahming 0 0-0 0, Bryce Williams 0 0-0 0  Team 34 20-33 95

Halftime score: Indian Hills 57, Northeast 48; Three-point field goals: IHCC 4 (Ross, Hogue 2), NCC 7 (Bluford 5; Scott, Washington 1)

Warriors' Streak to Eight with Win over Moberly

Ottumwa -- Indian Hills broke open a close game over the final six minutes of the first half and the Warriors went on to handle Moberly Area CC, 94-81, at the Hellyer Center Tuesday night.

IHCC used a 23-5 run to close the first half to take a 20-point halftime lead on the way to its eighth straight victory, a season-high winning streak.

Jameel McKay carried the Warriors early, scoring 12 points in the first 10 minutes.  Dustin Hogue ignited the late first-half run and Ronald Ross and Jelan Kendrick ended the spurt with back-to-back 3-pointers. 

McKay led IHCC with 19 points, Ross and Kendrick tallied 16 each and Hogue had 15.

After grabbing the big halftime lead, the Warriors increased the advantage to as many as 24 in the second half.  The closest the Greyhounds got after that was the 13-point final margin.

Moberly received solid performances in the second half from Mike Anderson and Brennen Hughes.  Both had seven second-half field goals, just one fewer than the entire team had in the first half.  Anderson scored 17 of his game-high 21 points after halftime and Hughes had 15 of his 18.

The Warriors had struggled from three-point range in the previous two games, but made eight 3s, half of them by Ross, who leads the team with 60.

The victory pushed Indian Hills' home court winning streak to 34 with 14 of those wins coming this season.

It was the first of three home games in a row for the Warriors who return to conference play on Saturday night against Northeast (Neb).

INDIAN HILLS 94, MOBERLY 81

INDIAN HILLS

Jameel McKay 7 5-7 19, Richard Amardi 3 2-2 8, Dustin Hogue 6 2-3 15, Ronald Ross 5 2-2 16, Jelan Kendrick 4 7-8 16, Frank Williams 4 0-0 10, Gary Williams, Jr. 2 2-2 6, Majok Deng 1 0-0 2, Rawane Ndiaye 1 0-0 2  Team 33 20-24 94

MOBERLY

Mike Anderson 7 5-5 21, Kevin Jordan 2 0-0 4, Rayshawn Simmons 2 1-1 6, Trent Washington 4 3-4 14, Evan Singletary 2 0-0 4, T.J. White 2 0-0 4, Zeke Williams 0 5-6 5, Malcolm Hamilton 2 0-0 4, Brennen Hughes 8 2-5 18, Kwai Pearson 1 0-2 2  Team 29 17-25 81

Halftime score: Indian Hills 47, Moberly 27; Three-point field goals: IHCC 8 (Ross 4; F. Williams 2; Hogue, Kendrick 1), MACC 6 (Washington 3; Anderson 2; Simmons 1)