Kirkwood Coach Doug Wagemester began Thanksgiving vacation a little earlier than planned Tuesday night when he was ejected from his team's game against Black Hawk College.

The Eagles enjoyed a basketball feast without him.

J.C. Fuller led a balanced attack with 17 points as Kirkwood dunked Black Hawk, 88-63, at Johnson Hall.

The ruckus began in the first half when Jeremy Gerlach, a referee from Silvis, Ill., told Kirkwood assistant coach Bryan Petersen to stop standing up when the ball was in play. Petersen was giving defensive instructions to his players and Gerlach told him to sit down.

Wagemester objected to Gerlach's instructions to Petersen. "You can't tell him that," Wagemester told Gerlach.

Shortly after, Gerlach gave Wagemester his first technical foul. Wagemester said a few more words and Gerlach warned him to stop. Wagemester walked away, but apparently said something else and was slapped with his second technical and ejected.

Wagemester got visibly upset and said a few more words to Gerlach, but left the building and went home. Quincy Young, Kirkwood's top assistant coach, took control of the team with Petersen by his side.

Cody Cooley hit four straight free throws after the technical fouls to pull Black Hawk within 21-18 with 8:01 left in the first half. The visitors drew within 24-23 and 26-25, but the Eagles soared to a 44-30 lead at halftime and won comfortably.

Kirkwood (5-3) built a 30-point advantage in the second half at 82-52 before settling for the 25-point victory.

Young was proud of the way the Eagles responded after Wagemester was given the heave-ho.

"There are two ways you can handle that," Young said. "You can tank it, or you can come together and play together. That's what our guys did. I give them credit, as a team."

Gerlach also ejected a Kirkwood fan a few minutes after he ejected Wagemester. The fan was sitting three rows behind the Kirkwood bench and apparently said something that Gerlach didn't like. The game was delayed while the fan was escorted from the gym.

Later in the first half, Gerlach called a double-technical on Kirkwood sophomore Kasey Semler and Black Hawk freshman Deqwon Horn. It appeared Horn had fouled Semler and that Semler was merely trying to disengage from Horn, but both players were slapped with technicals.

"I don't know what to say about that. It's over now," Semler remarked.

Semler scored 12 points, one of five Eagles in double figures. Kirkwood outscored Black Hawk, 67-45, after Wagemester was ejected.

"I was rather pleased with how we handled ourselves," Semler said. "I thought we came together and we had a lot of energy."

The Eagles shot well (50.7 percent) and made a series of slick passes, several of which led to crowd-pleasing dunks. Devan Douglas had several of those dunks and scored 14 points. Kevin Hunter contributed 12 points and Shaun Manego had 10 points.

Dashawn Banks led Black Hawk (3-3) with 12 points.

The other members of the officiating crew were Matt Friday and Steve Langhouser.

Kirkwood hosts Marshalltown on Nov. 28.

BLACK HAWK (63): Horn 1 0-2 2, Cooley 3 4-4 10, Russell 2 0-1 4, Schaller 0 0-0 0, Beadford 2 4-4 8, Kent 3 1-2 7, Banks 6 0-0 12, DeBacker 0 2-4 2, Maffiee 0 0-0 0, Beach 2 0-1 5, Millsapp 0 0-0 0, T.Char 1 0-0 2, K.Char 2 2-4 6, Kuban 2 0-0 4. Totals 24 13-22 63.

KIRKWOOD (88): Hunter 4 4-5 12, Heffernan 3 2-2 9, Olson 1 2-2 4, Douglas 7 0-0 14, Semler 5 0-0 12, Young 4 0-0 8, Butler 1 0-0 2, Manego 3 2-2 10, Witt 0 0-0 0, Fuller 7 2-3 17, Currie 0 0-2 0, Lang 0 0-0 0. Totals 35 12-16 88.

Halftime - Kirkwood 44, Black Hawk 30. 3-point goals - Black Hawk 2 (Beach 1, T.Char 1), Kirkwood 6 (Semler 2, Manego 2, Heffernan 1, Fuller 1). Technical fouls - Wagemester 2, Semler 1, Horn 1.