MOUNT PLEASANT – Gary Rademaker (Jr.-Emden, Ill.) scored 16 points to lead four Iowa Wesleyan College players in double figures and the Tigers withstood a flurry of Jamestown (N.D.) College three-pointers in the final minute for a 72-69 win Friday night at Ruble Arena.
The Tigers rebounded from a chilly first half to play one of their best halves of the season for 18 minutes of the second half. Wesleyan survived some anxious moments late to improve to 4-5 this year and drop Jamestown to 4-3 on the season.
IWC shot just 25.8% (8 for 31) and was out-rebounded 27-18 in the first half by the much taller Jimmies, who took a 33-27 halftime lead. The Tigers were able to stay close, though, and then made their move in the second half.
Brett Azinger (Fr.-Montrose, Iowa) and Jared Callanan (Sr.-Bennington, Vt.) made three-pointers and Jamal Blackmond (Fr.-Aurora, Ill.) had four points during a 12-0 run to give Wesleyan a 49-42 lead with 10:18 remaining in the game. The Tigers would not trail the rest of the way, maintaining a lead between three and five points until scoring eight points in a row, including four straight by Weldon Miller (Jr.-San Rafael, Calif.) for a 64-53 lead with 3:52 left in the game.
IWC seemed to put it away when Reggie Shipp (Jr.-Aurora, Ill.) made a three-pointer with 1:54 left for a 67-57 lead. The Jimmies’ Hans Hoeg caught fire, though, making four three-pointers over a 36-second span. Coupled with some turnovers by the Tigers, Jamestown cut the lead to 70-69 on Hoeg’s fourth consecutive triple with 1:03 remaining in the game.
The Jimmies even had a chance to take the lead after Shipp missed a three-pointer with 25 seconds left, but B.J. Mertens missed a three-pointer for Jamestown with seven seconds left. Shipp rebounded and then hit two free throws, and C.J. Peters missed a desperation three-pointer from 40 feet away at the buzzer.
Azinger and Shipp (14 points) and Callanan (13 points) joined Rademaker in double figures scoring, while Blackmond led Wesleyan with seven rebounds. Shipp also had a game-high six assists. IWC shot 36.2% for the game, hitting 21 of 58 shots, and made eight three-pointers, including five in the second half.
Hoeg led the Jimmies with 24 points and made six three-pointers for the game. Jamestown shot 43.1% (22 of 51) and out-rebounded the Tigers 41-33 but committed 26 turnovers which IWC turned into 31 points.
For more information regarding the IWC basketball programs or any of the Tiger athletic teams, contact sports information director Adam Glatczak (319-385-6306 phone; 319-385-6384 FAX; aglatczak@iwc.edu e-mail) or log on to IWC's athletics web site at www.iwc.edu/athletics.
Box score IWC 72 Jamestown 69
