Posted: Jan 18, 2024
#4 Eagles Handle Trojans at Home
Cedar Rapids, IA- 4th ranked Kirkwood returned to action for the first time in 11 days & it took them about a half to shake off the rust as they defeated NIACC 71-57 Wednesday night at Johnson Hall.
The Eagles (16-2 / 7-1 ICCAC) struggled early on with uncharacteristic turnovers and missed some easy shots in the paint.
NIACC jumped out to an early 9-4 lead midway through the first quarter & the visiting Trojans led 14-13 after a quarter.
Kirkwood started to get their offense going in the second half thanks to their full-court pressure, as they forced NIACC into three consecutive turnovers which allowed the Eagles to take a 20-19 lead on a three-pointer by sophomore Emily Dreckman with 7:19 remaining in the half.
The Eagles, who would not trail the rest of the game, would lead 36-34 at halftime.
The third quarter saw both teams trade buckets early on as NIACC tied the game at 43-43 with 6:01 remaining.
Kirkwood would then close the quarter on a 15-0 run to take a 58-43 lead heading into the final quarter of play.
Freshman Jenna Twedt, who accounted for eight points in the run, got it started by knocking down back-to-back three-pointers.
Freshman Sam Veto also played a big role in the run, as she came off the bench to score five points.
Two free throws by sophomore Demetria Prewitt gave the Eagles their largest lead at 68-50 with 3:07 remaining in the game.
Twedt led Kirkwood in scoring with a game-high 20 points & five assists. Prewitt recorded her fifth double-double of the season with a 15 point, 10 rebound performance.
Freshman Lizzy Puot also finished in double figures, as she came off the bench & finished with 10 points.
Kirkwood hits the road on Saturday, as they head to Iowa Falls to take on Ellsworth at 1:00 pm
