Red Wolves match wins record after climbing past Mountaineers
Red Wolves match wins record after climbing past Mountaineers
BEREA, Ky. - School records. Conference championships. They're all within the Red Wolves' grasp.
The Indiana University East men's basketball team tied the program's NAIA school record for wins in a season with an 81-72 Kentucky Intercollegiate Athletic Conference win at Berea College on Feb. 10.
The NAIA Division II No. 11 Red Wolves (23-5, 10-1) stayed in a virtual tie for first place in the KIAC with two games remaining in the regular season.
IU East matched the 23-win total posted by the 2008-09 and 2010-11 Red Wolves. IU East extended its current winning streak to six.
"We knew about the school record, but we weren't worried about the record. We just wanted to get the 'W.' We want to get to nationals, so we've got to take it one game at a time," said sophomore guard Bakari Smith (Indianapolis, Ind./George Washington High School).
Berea fell to 9-17 overall and 4-7 in the KIAC.
Junior guard Marcus Isaac (Indianapolis, Ind./Purdue University North Central) scored 19 points to lead four players in double figures for IU East.
Josh Clark led Berea with 19 points.
The Red Wolves led by at least eight and by as much as 18 in the second half after building an 11-point halftime lead.
"The majority of the first half we played well, and that's why we had a comfortable lead the majority of the first half," said IU East coach Mark Hester.
"We couldn't put them away in the second half, as usual. We've got to step up for 40 minutes when we start playing these one-and-done (tournament) games in a couple of weeks.
IU East faces No. 19 IU Southeast on Feb. 16 in its regular season finale. Tipoff time is 7 p.m. in the Richmond High School Tiernan Center.
The winner will control its own destiny in the race for the KIAC regular season championship.
It will be Senior Night for the IU East basketball program. Seniors Devon Niehoff (Rushville, Ind./Rushville High School), David Sanders (Indianapolis, Ind./Beech Grove High School) and Terry Weathers (East Chicago, Ind./Oakton Community College) will be honored after the game.
Click here for the IU East-Berea box score