Kirkwood Mens Basketball

Kirkwood raised $2,566 for Ben Jacobson

The fundraiser for Kirkwood assistant basketball coach Ben Jacobson  raised $2,566 on Wednesday night at Johnson Hall.

Jacobson, 34, was diagnosed with brain cancer in October. He returned  to the basketball team in November and is receiving treatments at the  University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics.

The GoFundMe campaign for Jacobson has surpassed the original goal of  $10,000 and the new goal has been set at $15,000.

The NIACC basketball program raised $1,970 at its clinic in Mason City  and presented Jacobson with a check for that amount Wednesday.

Special T-shirts from "Jake's Game" can be ordered through Kirkwood  for $15. Send an email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with your name and  size. Checks can be written to Kirkwood Athletics. All proceeds go to  Jacobson.

In addition, JacobStrong bracelets are available at the Kirkwood  athletic department office at Johnson Hall for $2.

No. 13 Eagles knock off NIACC

Kirkwood Coach Bryan Petersen pulled Chris King and Ethan Meeker into a private meeting prior to the holiday break last month to talk about where the Eagles were headed.

It had been a choppy season at that point and Petersen wanted his two experienced sophomores to help point the Eagles in the right direction.

It's worked.

King and Meeker played important roles Wednesday night as the 13th-ranked Eagles continued their surge with a 76-63 victory over NIACC in a conference game at Johnson Hall.

King popped in six 3-pointers and scored 23 points. Meeker, who missed the first month of the season with a broken hand, contributed eight points, five assists, three rebounds and two steals.

Most of all, they're providing more of the leadership that may have been lacking earlier in the campaign.

"I just wanted more ownership from those guys in particular, because they've been in our program and they've played a good amount of minutes over their careers," said Petersen. "I just wanted more ownership, because at the end of the day this is their last go-round at Kirkwood.

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'Jake's Game' is big success for Jacobson

Ben Jacobson, smiling broadly, embraced his family and warmly acknowledged all the fans who flocked to Johnson Hall Wednesday night to support him in his fight against brain cancer.

"Unbelievable," was his one-word response when asked what the night meant to him. "Unbelievable."

Jacobson, 34, was diagnosed with Level 2 brain cancer in October. The 2 1/2-inch tumor in the frontal lobe of his brain is inoperable, due to its location, but he has vowed to wage a fierce battle against the disease.

Jacobson has been back on the job as an assistant men's basketball coach at Kirkwood Community College since mid-November and he's extremely appreciative of all the support he's received from the Kirkwood athletic department, the Kirkwood community, friends and fans.

A GoFundMe campaign has raised $10,155 for the Jacobson family to help with expenses, already surpassing the initial goal of $10,000.

The NIACC basketball teams, who were Kirkwood's opponents in the doubleheader Wednesday, raised $1,970 for Jacobson at a basketball clinic and presented Jacobson with a check during a pre-game ceremony.

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'Jake's Game' fundraiser for KCC coach

Ben Jacobson has discovered that a lot of friends are rooting for him in his fight against brain cancer, including people he doesn't even know.

The "GoFundMe" campaign to help Jacobson and his family with their medical expenses has reached $7,620 toward the initial goal of $10,000.

The basketball program at NIACC, one of Kirkwood's rivals in the ICCAC conference, has raised an additional $2,000 for Jacobson through their own clinics.

And now Kirkwood Community College, where Jacobson has worked as an assistant men's basketball coach the past five years, will be holding a special fundraiser for Jacobson Wednesday night when the Eagles host NIACC in a doubleheader that begins at 5:30 p.m. with the women's game at Johnson Hall.

(CLICK HERE FOR GOFUNDME LINK)

Kirkwood is calling it "Jake's Game," and spectators are asked to wear gray, the color for brain cancer awareness.

Jacobson, 34, was diagnosed in October with Level 2 brain cancer. There is an inoperable 2 1/2-inch tumor in the frontal lobe of his brain, located in a delicate spot that cannot be removed by surgery.

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