OTTUMWA - The Kirkwood men's basketball team gave one of the top junior college programs in the country a real battle Saturday night before falling short.

Indian Hills trimmed the Eagles, 94-89, in a shootout at the Blackwell Tire Classic at the Indian Hills gym in Ottumwa.

Indian Hills is ranked No. 5 in the country at the NJCAA Division I level and has five players who have committed to major four-year colleges. Kirkwood is ranked No. 7 at the NJCAA Division II level and has no major college commitments at this point.

Najeal Young tossed in 26 points and Kasey Semler added 23 for the Eagles (1-1). Young, a 6-5 freshman from Milwaukee, made nine field goals and was 8 for 12 at the foul line. Semler, a 6-1 sophomore from Marion, made four 3-pointers.

Indian Hills led 45-38 at halftime and scored the first 11 points of the second half to grab a 56-38 advantage. Kirkwood responded with a 20-2 run and tied the game, 58-58.

Kirkwood took a 70-69 lead on two free throws by Semler. Indian Hills led 88-87 with two minutes left and managed to put the game away.

Ronald Ross, a 6-foot-4 guard from Indianapolis, led the Warriors (2-0) with 17 points. Gary Williams Jr., a 6-4 guard from Oakland, Calif., scored 16 points.

The five Indian Hills players who have committed to NCAA Division I schools are Jameel McKay (Marquette), Richard Amardi (Iowa State), Trinson White (Wisconsin-Milwaukee), Jelan Kendrick (UNLV) and Dustin Hogue (Iowa State).

Indian Hills plays at Kirkwood on Tuesday, Dec. 4.

KIRKWOOD (89): Hunter 2 1-2 5, Young 9 8-12 26, Witt 2 0-0 4, Fuller 3 0-0 7, Heffernan 1 2-2 4, Olson 1 1-2 3, Douglas 4 0-1 9, Semler 6 7-7 23, Currie 1 2-5 4, Lang 1 0-0 2. Totals 31 21-28 89.

INDIAN HILLS (94): McKay 3 5-11 11, Amardi 2 1-2 5, White 0 2-2 2, G. Williams 5 5-5 16, Ross 6 3-5 17, Kendrick 3 5-6 11, Moss 3 1-1 7, Hogue 2 10-13 14, F. Williams 3 0-0 9, Stevens 1 0-0 2. Totals 28 32-45 94.

Halftime - Indian Hills 45, Kirkwood 38. 3-point goals - Kirkwood 6 (Semler 4, Fuller 1, Douglas 1), Indian Hills 6 (F. Williams 3, Ross 2, G. Williams 1).