IU East holds on for win at #20 Rio in KIAC Game of the Week
IU East holds on for win at #20 Rio in KIAC Game of the Week
Box Score
RIO GRANDE, Ohio - Indiana University East weathered a strong storm to stay atop the KIAC Colonial Division standings and undefeated in conference play.
The Red Wolves overcame a fast start and a furious finish by 20th-ranked University of Rio Grande to earn a 74-71 road win in the KIAC Men's Basketball Game of the Week on Saturday (Jan. 16).
"Rio is really, really good and can cause a lot of problems for you," said IU East coach Mark Hester. "The guys just gutted it out and made plays when plays needed to be made."
IU East (12-8, 6-0 KIAC) earned its third win this season against an NAIA Top 25 team. Rio Grande is 14-6 overall and 4-2 in the KIAC. IU East remains in first place in the division and unbeaten in KIAC games. Rio Grande drops to third place with WVU Tech (5-1 KIAC) in between.
Hester went down virtually the entire IU East roster listing key contributions by Red Wolf players.
Sophomore guard Jacoby Claypool (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop High School) matched his career high with 23 points.
Senior guard Parker Salinas (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo High School) chipped in 15 points, including three 3-pointers.
Senior guard Nick Bollenbacher (Cedar Lake, Ind./Hanover Central High School) chipped in 11 points, including a 6-for-6 effort from the free throw line.
Freshman forward Aaron Thomas (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop High School) came off of the bench and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
"It was absolutely a team effort," Claypool said. "We all were hitting big shots and coming up with huge stops. I can't be any more proud of our guys.
"No game is any different than the other, but this one felt great."
A Claypool 3-pointer capped an 18-5 IU East run that gave the Red Wolves a 56-47 lead with 7:05 remaining. IU East held at least a two-score lead until the final minute.
Rio Grande had two possessions with a chance to tie in the last seconds, but IU East made enough free throws and enough defensive stops to weather the RedStorm surge.
Dwayne Bazemore led Rio Grande with 21 points. Will Hill added 15 points and D.D. Joiner score 11 points with nine coming in the first half. Rio Grande had a 38-35 lead at the break. Claypool banked in a 3 at the halftime buzzer to pull IU East within three points.
IU East plays at another KIAC Colonial Division opponent, (RV) WVU Tech on Jan. 19. Rio Grande hosts Carlow on Jan. 22.
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