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Washington Evening Journal
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New London heats up
Tiger boys take out Van Buren County
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
NEW LONDON — Through 10 games of the 2025-26 season, the New London boys basketball team hadn’t figured out a way to put that first check mark in the win column, but in its last two, the victories have finally started flowing.
Just three days after knocking off WACO in a Southeast Iowa Super Conference crossover game, the Tigers got their first South Division win, taking down Van Buren County 65-50.
This win comes one month after the Warriors had beaten the Tigers 60-56 in Keosauqua, which at the time was VBC’s third-straight win over New London in the season series.
The Tigers controlled the entire game this time around. New London held a 34-23 halftime lead, and stretched that to 53-40 after three quarters, before finally putting the nail in the coffin in the final eight minutes.
“The thing I’m most proud of is not just the wins, but that we’re starting to play for each other,” said New London head coach Jess Swanson. “We’re starting to see the importance of running the offense through, and we’re getting better looks from it, and these young men are learning how to win.”
Brigham Porter was unconscious from midrange, pouring in 20 points to lead the Tigers.
Porter, the younger brother of Mason and Blaise, who helped bring the Tigers to great heights in the last 10 years, spoke after the game about finally watching his team take those big steps.
“It feels good, especially when you come from a family that is so known for a sport,” Porter said. “It feels good to continue on with that legacy.”
Israel Lemley scored 13 points in the win. Logan Franklin had 10 points. Cole Swanson scored eight. London Franklin had seven, and Gavin Strawhacker finished with six.
“We’ve been down for a little bit, but the more we come up, and the more years we practice, the better we get,” said Porter. “It’s going to come around sooner or later.”
Despite the loss, a couple of Warriors had big time performances. Landry Loeffler went for 23 points in the game, and Kinnick Millard scored 19. There was a big scoring gap after that, however, as Brandon Taylor and Jace Duncan tied for third on the team with four points each.
New London is now 2-10 overall and 1-8 in conference play, while VBC sits at 3-10 on the year and 1-9 in the league.
