COLFAX — A tough shooting night plagued Colfax-Mingo’s boys on Jan. 31.
The Tigerhawks led by three after one quarter but scored just four points in the final frame during a 67-54 home loss to the Bears during South Iowa Cedar League play.
Brady Berkey scored his 1,000th career point on a layup in the third quarter, but BGM buried seven 3-pointers in the game and made seven free throws in the final 2 minutes to pull away.
“As one of our guys said in the postgame meeting, the loss wasn’t because of lack of effort,” C-M coach Mark Rague said. “There was a lid on the rim. It was one of those nights. BGM played better than we did.”
The Bears led 56-50 after three quarters and outscored the Tigerhawks 11-4 in the final frame.
Berkey converted a layup early in the fourth to get C-M to within four, but BGM scored six in a row to push the lead back to 10. The Tigerhawks never got closer than eight the rest of the way.
Noah Beck scored 19 points to lead all scorers. He made a trio of free throws in the final 1:25 to keep the Bears’ advantage at double digits.
“(Beck) did a good job penetrating and kicking and his teammates made shots tonight,” Rague said. “We pressured them a lot and that sped the game up, which led to more possessions. They made shots and we didn’t.”
The Bears led 7-1 early in the game, but Colfax-Mingo used a 9-2 run to take a lead at 10-9. David Rague buried a trey to give C-M its first lead and then Cole Bracewell hit a 3-pointer and Jacob Nichols scored back-to-back buckets to make it 17-14 after the first.
The game featured a long delay in the second quarter after Grant Hall went down with an elbow injury. It was 21-all at that point and BGM led 31-28 at halftime.
“We still only have two seniors on our team, and we haven’t seen something like that before,” Coach Rague said. “I took from that experience that next time we’ll go to the locker room and we will wait and stay dialed in.”
Trase Kriegel came into the game averaging 6.4 points per contest but hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored another bucket inside early in the third to put the Bears ahead 45-35.
Every time the Tigerhawks (11-5 overall, 9-5 in conference play) tried to get close, the Bears (12-4, 9-4) would answer. Nichols and Berkey each scored inside but Joe Kasal scored to push the lead back eight.
Berkey then buried a 3-pointer to close it to five, but Beck scored back-to-back buckets to extend the lead to nine.
“They had one of these nights when we played them over there,” Coach Rague said. “They couldn’t make shots at home and then we couldn’t make enough shots at home this time.”
BGM’s Jordan Kriegel was whistled for a technical foul late in the third and Colfax-Mingo made 3-of-4 from the line to close the gap to 56-50 after three.
Layups by Berkey and David Rague were the only points for Colfax-Mingo in the fourth. Beck was 3-for-7 from the line in the fourth for the Bears, who have now won eight of their last nine games. Trase Kriegel scored a bucket in the fourth to get 14 points for the game. Jordan Kriegel also scored 12 for the Bears.
Berkey and Nichols each scored 15 points for the Tigerhawks, who came into the game winners of five of their last seven games.
Berkey also had six rebounds, six steals, three blocks and three assists. Nichols grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out three assists.
David Rague added 11 points and eight rebounds and Zach Steenhoek scored eight points. Colton Lind pulled down four boards. Colfax-Mingo was 12-of-19 from the foul line and shot 34 percent from the floor.
Berkey became the sixth player in school history to score 1,000 points when he made a layup midway through the third quarter.
“The thing you can see is that he plays the game passionately. He plays with a desire to win,” Coach Rague said. “He’s probably hurting more than anyone else because he wanted his special night to come in a win.”
Colfax-Mingo played at North Mahaska on Feb. 4. The Tigerhawks host Melcher-Dallas at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 6 and host HLV at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 7 in Colfax.
Colfax-Mingo 59, Lynnville-Sully 40
SULLY — The Tigerhawks led by 10 after three quarters and pulled away even more in the fourth during a 59-40 SICL road win on Feb. 1.
Colfax-Mingo outscored Lynnville-Sully 24-15 in the fourth.
Berkey had 17 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, Nichols finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds and David Rague tallied 10 points, seven rebounds, two assists, five steals and two blocks.
Bracewell scored 12 points and Steenhoek added six points and five rebounds.
Colfax-Mingo 61, Sigourney 56
COLFAX — Berkey had a double-double, four players scored in double-figures and Colfax-Mingo edged Sigourney at home during SICL play on Jan. 27.
The Tigerhawks led 34-20 at halftime before holding off the Savages 61-56.
Berkey finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds, six blocks, five assists and three steals to lead the Tigerhawks. Nichols had 14 points and eight rebounds.
Bracewell buried three 3-pointers and scored 11 points and David Rague had 10 points on three 3-pointers as well as seven rebounds, four steals and five assists. Colfax-Mingo buried nine 3-pointers in the game.
Sigourney (6-7, 5-5) got a game-high 29 points from Mason Harter.
Montezuma 70, Colfax-Mingo 49
MONTEZUMA — The Class 1A No. 5 Braves handed Colfax-Mingo a 70-49 loss at home during an SICL game on Jan. 28.
Colfax-Mingo got 14 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks from Berkey. Nichols had 11 points and nine rebounds, Steenhoek scored 11 points and David Rague had nine points and four boards.
