Coe College Men's Basketball Release
Contact: Ryan Workman, Sports Information Director
E-mail: sid@coe.edu

Kohawks outlast Rams in overtime, advance to IIAC Semifinals

Kuenstling

Brungard

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – Coe outlasted a feisty Cornell squad for an 85-79 overtime win Tuesday night at Eby Fieldhouse. After Coe jumped out to a 17-9 lead, the Rams made things interesting the rest of the way, trying to become just the third six seed in IIAC Tournament history to pull the first round upset.

Cornell used an 8-2 run to cut the Coe lead to four at halftime and continued their intense play into the second half, where the Rams rallied from a 12 point deficent. Cornell used an 18-5 run over 7:24 to take a one point lead with 5:08 to play.

Neither team could take a lead larger than three in the game's final five minutes. The Dunkerton duo of Kyle Kuenstling and Brian Brungard scored all 10 of Coe's points in the final five minutes to send the game to overtime.

The Rams led by three with 3:49 to play in the extra frame before Brungard and junior Kevin Dux (Boulder, Colo./Fairview) took over from downtown. Dux hit a 3-point basket with 3:29 to play to tie the game before Brungard hit his fourth 3-pointer of the game with 2:24 to play. Dux answered again with a 3-point basket with 1:24 to play that gave the Kohawks a six-point lead on the 9-0 run.

The last 3-point basket by Dux put a dagger in the Rams, as they couldn't come within five poitns the rest of the way.

Coe dominated the game at the free throw line, connecting on 30 of 43 attempts, while the Rams were just 10 of 16 from the charity stripe. Neither team shot above 70 percent from the line.

The Kohawks shot 54 percent from the field, while the Rams could only hit 44 percent of their shots, but connected on seven more field goals than the Kohawks.

Kuenstling led four Kohawks in double-figures with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Brungard added 16 points, while fellow senior Rob Hanna (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Linn-Mar) added 14 points, seven rebounds and a game-high five assists. Freshman Alex Tatman (Humboldt, Iowa/Humboldt) added 11 points off the bench.

Dux finished the game with nine points and a game-high two steals, while seniors Kale Petersen (DeWitt, Iowa/Central Clinton) and Chris Kehe (Tripoli, Iowa/Tripoli) added four and five points respectively in their last games at Eby Fieldhouse.

The Kohawks will make their fifth-straight appearance in the Iowa Conference Tournament Semifinals on Thursday night. Coe will face Loras at 7 p.m. in Dubuque.