Kennedy Boys Basketball

No.9 Cougars roll by Tigers

Kennedy Coach Jon McKowen has preached to his team all year about the importance of playing their best basketball at the end of the season when it really counts.

The Cougars are getting pretty darn close.

Kennedy rode two different 13-0 streaks Friday night to an impressive 71-55 conquest of Cedar Falls in the Class 4A substate semifinals at Kennedy.

Now comes the showdown that Metro fans have craved with the ninth-ranked Cougars (17-5) facing the sixth-ranked Linn-Mar Lions (18-4) in the substate finals Tuesday at 8 p.m. at the U.S. Cellular Center for a berth in the state tournament.

Cole Murdock and Zach Daniels picked Cedar Falls apart with their sharp passing Friday night, the Cougars attacked the backboards with reckless abandon and Brendon Manning got the place jumping with a rebound dunk with the game just 20 seconds old.

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Daniels leads Kennedy boys with 21

IOWA CITY – Zach Daniels popped in five 3-pointers and scored 21 points to lead the ninth-ranked Kennedy boys basketball team to a 57-49 win over Iowa City High on Thursday to complete the regular season.

Bryton Heisler added 13 points for the Cougars (16-5), who pulled away with a 19-10 run in the second quarter.

Chuck Johnson scored 10 points for the Little Hawks (7-15).

KENNEDY (57): Daniels 7 2-2 21, Heisler 4 4-6 13, Murdock 1 2-2 5, Gardner 0 0-0 0, Diggins 2 0-0 4, Brewster 2 3-6 7, Manning 1 4-10 6, Girling 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 15-26 57.

IOWA CITY HIGH (49): Hooper 0 0-0 0, Smith 1 0-0 2, Mulligan 3 0-0 8, Weiland 3 2-4 8, Grace 0 0-0 0, Johnson 4 4-4 12, Jones 2 0-0 4, Ringen 1 0-1 3, Craig 0 0-0 0, McNutt 0 0-0 0, Martin 5 2-4 12. Totals 19 8-13 49.

Halftime – Kennedy 26, Iowa City High 19. 3-point goals – Kennedy 8 (Daniels 5, Heisler, Murdock, Diggins), Iowa City High 3 (Mulligan 2, Ringen).

Kennedy boys clip Wahawks, 69-63

The ninth-ranked Kennedy boys basketball team came alive in the fourth quarter and beat Waterloo West, 69-63, Tuesday at Kennedy.

The Cougars trailed 46-45 after three quarters, but they scored 24 points in the final frame.

Cole Murdock and Brendon Manning each scored 20 points for Kennedy (15-5) and Zach Daniels added 16 points. The Cougars made ten 3-point baskets, with Murdock hitting five triples and Daniels sinking four 3-pointers.

Gabe Pepin scored 20 points and Lincoln Conrey had 18 for the Wahawks (7-13).

WATERLOO WEST (63): Sehic 0 0-0 0, Conrey 7 2-3 18, Funchess 0 0-0 0, Pepin 7 2-3 20, Samardzic 2 0-0 5, Moore 4 1-2 9, Schultz 2 0-0 4, Harris-Anderson 3 0-0 7, Kuljuhovic 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 5-8 63.

KENNEDY (69): Daniels 6 0-0 16, Heisler 3 0-0 7, Murdock 7 1-1 20, Gardner 1 0-0 2, Diggins 0 0-0 0, Manning 8 4-6 20, Girling 0 0-0 0, Wall 0 0-0 0, Brewster 2 0-0 4. Totals 27 5-7 69.

Halftime – Waterloo West 27, Kennedy 27. 3-point goals – Waterloo West 8 (Pepin 4, Conrey 2, Samandzic, Harris-Anderson), Kennedy 10 (Murdock 5, Daniels 4, Heisler).

Konigsmark, J-Hawks push No.9 Cougars

Tyler Konigsmark and the Jefferson J-Hawks could have quit on themselves a long time ago in the midst of a grueling campaign, but they proved Tuesday night against Kennedy that they're alive and kicking.

Unfortunately for the J-Hawks, their best effort of the season was not good enough.

The Kennedy Cougars took Jefferson's best punch and escaped with a 79-69 victory in an entertaining Mississippi Valley Conference game at Kennedy.

Konigsmark poured in 22 points in the first half alone and finished with a career-best 27 points in a sterling performance. The J-Hawks have a dismal 1-and-17 record and have lost 12 games by lopsided scores, but they trailed the No. 9 team in the state by only two points at 62-60 midway through the fourth quarter.

Kennedy scored 12 straight points for a 74-60 lead to put the game away, but it was a terrific effort by the visitors from the southwest side of town.

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