Basketball at the break: South Iowa Cedar Conference

The South Iowa Cedar Conference race is looking like it’s going to be a tight one. Keota is right in the thick of it in both the boys and girls races.

In the boys’ South Iowa Cedar-East conference race, Keota is within one game of second in the conference, currently sitting at 4-3 (6-4 overall). Keota comes into the new year off a 55-27 victory over BGM.

The Eagles are currently tied with Sigourney for third in the conference and only trail Belle Plaine, 5-2, and Iowa Valley, 5-0.

Keota has defeated Sigourney, 56-48, once thus far, but has lost to both Belle Plaine and Iowa Valley.

The good news for the Eagles is they only lost to both by a combined seven points, 55-49 to Belle Plaine and 50-49 to Iowa Valley.

Next up is a statement game for the Eagles as they take on a tough Montezuma team, 5-1 (6-2 overall), who currently sits at second in the South Iowa Cedar-West conference standings.

Several Eagles have had a proficient season thus far, finding themselves among the top stat leaders in the division.

Sawyer Stout, a sophomore, has shown that he is among the top scorers in the division. Stout is currently averaging 14.8 points per game, good enough for fourth in the division.

Senior Colten Clarahan is the assist leader, averaging 4.0 assists per game. Sophomore Evan Vittetoe finds his name in two categories. Vittetoe’s 8.8 rebounds per game is fourth in the division and his 1.7 blocks is third.

On the girls side of things, Keota is presently tied for sixth in the South Iowa Cedar conference at 3-4 (3-8 overall). The Eagles are currently tied with Sigourney and Lynnville-Sully.

They’ve had an up and down season so far. The Eagles have only had four home games to seven away, with all three of their wins coming at home. The most recent win for Keota came in the last game before the break, a dominating 51-17 victory over BGM.

Although the Eagles are in sixth and on the outside looking in, they are just two wins away from jumping to the top three in the division.

They will have the opportunity to begin the climb in their first game back when they take on Montezuma, 5-1 (7-2 overall), the team that currently holds the third spot in the conference.

Keota’s Taylor Kindred is the best glass cleaner in the conference, averaging 10.5 rebounds a game. Kindred is also second in blocks with a 2.3 per game average.

SOUTH IOWA CEDAR-EAST BOYS STANDINGS

TEAM CONFERENCE OVERALL

1. Iowa Valley 5-0, 5-1

2. Belle Plaine 5-2, 6-2

T3. Sigourney 4-3, 5-3

T3. Keota 4-3, 6-4

4. English Valleys 2-4, 4-4

5. Tri-County 0-6, 0-7

SOUTH IOWA CEDAR GIRLS STANDINGS

TEAM CONFERENCE OVERALL

North Mahaska 7-0, 8-1

English Valleys 6-1, 8-1

Montezuma 5-1, 7-2

Belle Plaine 5-2, 6-2

Iowa Valley 4-2, 7-2

Colfax-Mingo 3-3, 4-4

Lynnville-Sully 3-4, 6-6

Sigourney 3-4, 4-5

Keota 3-4, 3-8

HLV1-6, 1-9

Tri-County 0-6, 2-6

BGM 0-7, 0-9

Comments: hunter.moeller@southeastiowaunion.com