Tigers squash Bees

MT. PLEASANT — The 23th-ranked Iowa Wesleyan men’s basketball team had something to prove on Wednesday night, as the Tigers welcomed in a Saint Ambrose squad that played them within six points on Dec. 13.

Wednesday’s matchup looked a lot different, as the Tigers flexed their muscle with a blowout victory, burying the Bees 100-49.

“I didn't think we played very hard up at their place,” said Tiger head coach Jordan Ashton. “Today, we wanted to come out and be the tougher team.”

The win comes just a few days after a 1-1 trip at the Continental Athletic Classic in Arkansas, where Iowa Wesleyan lost its first game in two months. Wednesday’s win makes 23 victories for the Tigers with one game left in the regular season.

“Being able to bounce back shows how we're able to stick together and fight through adversity,” said forward Henry Shannon. “Those first couple of stops got us rolling, and we just took over.”

Indeed, they did. The Tigers put the game away early, leading Saint Ambrose 46-19 at halftime. Shannon, Carver Locke and Gacoby Jones had nine points apiece at the break.

The fun didn’t end there for the Tiger fans in attendance. Iowa Wesleyan rolled up 54 more points before the night was done, including a 3-pointer by Gavin Kies, which brought the total to triple digits.

Shannon finished the night with 20 points to lead all scorers. Jones had 17. Locke scored 13 points and also led the team with four assists and three steals, and Kies finished with 13 off the bench.

Francis Okwuosah had 11 points on the night. Joey Brown IV and James Evans II had eight points each. Victor Munoz and Dylan Hurley scored five each.

The Tigers (23-2) will host Baptist Bible College on Tuesday night. After that, Iowa Wesleyan will turn its attention toward the conference tournament.