Kirkwood Mens Basketball

No.2 Eagles roll by Clarke JV

Everybody played, everybody scored, everybody had fun.

From all angles, it was a good way for the Kirkwood men's basketball team to ring in the new year.

Shakur Triplett led a balanced attack with 16 points Saturday afternoon as the second-ranked Eagles rolled by the Clarke University junior varsity, 112-63, at Johnson Hall.

Six players reached double figures with Elijah Henry (12), Josh Meier (12), Josh Bartlett (11), Byron Harp (11) and Cristen Wilson (10) all helping Kirkwood zoom past the century mark against an over-matched opponent.

The victory left Kirkwood with a 12-2 record heading into the heaviest part of the season.

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Kirkwood edged in premier JUCO battle

They played a basketball game for grown men at Kirkwood Community College Wednesday night between two of the premier junior college teams in Iowa.

Based on what transpired at Johnson Hall, don't be surprised if both clubs end up playing in national tournaments this year.

The Reivers from Iowa Western nipped the Kirkwood Eagles, 76-74, in a highly entertaining contest that came down to the final shot of the game when Kirkwood guard Hunter Rhodes barely missed a 3-pointer from 35 feet.

Iowa Western is ranked No. 10 in the nation at the Division I level of junior college basketball and Kirkwood is ranked No. 2 in Division II, with the biggest difference in the divisions having to do with the amount of scholarship money available at each school.

When it came to the actual players on the floor, there was barely a dime's worth of difference.

Kirkwood Coach Bryan Petersen was mostly happy with the way his team played, but they don't award consolation prizes in college basketball.

"I thought we played pretty hard, definitely in spurts," said Petersen, "but as I keep telling the guys, you either get it done or you don't and we didn't get it done tonight."

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Jackson sparks No.2 Kirkwood men

The Kirkwood Eagles were not getting a whole lot accomplished in their men's basketball game against Black Hawk College Saturday afternoon when Coach Bryan Petersen reached deep into his bench and sent Al'Tavius Jackson onto the floor.

The 6-foot-1 freshman got things going in a hurry.

Jackson tossed in eight points with an impressive flurry late in the first half and finished with a career-best 18 points to help the second-ranked Eagles roll Black Hawk, 97-69, at Johnson Hall.

Jackson had not played in Kirkwood's last four games and had scored only 18 points all season. He matched that output in a single showing as the Eagles raised their record to 11-1.

Jackson had no idea he was going to get the call with his team locked in a tight battle in the first half, but he was happy to get a chance to prove himself and help his club.

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No. 2 Eagles hold off John Wood

The Kirkwood men's basketball team jumped to No. 2 in the national rankings this week, but the Eagles had to fight like heck Wednesday night to stay there.

Josh Meier hit six straight free throws in the final 2 1/2 minutes and blocked a big shot as Kirkwood pulled away from John Wood, 69-61, in a non-conference game at Johnson Hall.

The Eagles, sporting a flashy 9-1 record, climbed four spots in the NJCAA Division II poll this week, but John Wood did not seem too impressed with Kirkwood's lofty spot in the poll.

The game was tied, 60-60, with three minutes left before Meier and the Eagles pulled it out.

Meier, a 6-foot-7 transfer from Chicago State, made two free throws with 2:32 left to snap the 60-60 tie and give Kirkwood a 62-60 edge. He then blocked a shot, got fouled again and cashed two more charity shots for a 64-60 edge with 1:57 left.

John Wood missed a shot, Kirkwood got the rebound and Meier hit two more free throws with 1:17 remaining to give the Eagles a little breathing room at 66-60.

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