20th victory for Iowa Central men
The 12th-ranked Iowa Central men reached 20 wins for the season thus far with a commanding 94-59 victory over Southwestern here Saturday inside Hodges Fieldhouse.
Aleix Sempere led four players in double figures with 21 points, adding 10 rebounds and two steals. Sempere was 10 of 13 from the field, as the Tritons (20-5 overall, 12-4 in the ICCAC) shot 59 percent as a team.
Jordan Cain scored 13 points and both Manny Lueth and Dorian Pruitt each added 11. Tashun Pender had eight points and 11 rebounds off the bench with two assists.
Triton Jalen Wynter chipped in nine points, five rebounds, two assists and a steal.
“We were solid defensively, making them shoot tough shots,” ICCC head coach Mason Denholm said. “We did a good job on the glass.
“Offensively, we moved bodies and the ball well, and hunted great shots. When we play with a pace, good things happen.”
Iowa Central dished out 19 assists on 38 field goals and pulled down 44 rebounds, committing just nine turnovers. They finished plus-30 on points in the paint and never trailed.
Southwestern (8-17, 4-12) was led by Myles Opare’s 13 points. The Spartans shot just 38 percent from the floor and were 8-for-25 from the 3-point line.
Up next for the Tritons will be 11th-ranked Kirkwood in Cedar Rapids on Wednesday. The Eagles won the first encounter in Fort Dodge, 82-80.
IOWA CENTRAL 94, SOUTHWESTERN 59
Iowa Central — Manny Lueth 4-8 1-2 11, CJ Mitchell 2-3 0-0 5, Jalen Wynter 3-6 0-0 9, Aleix Sempere 10-13 1-1 21, Jordan Cain 6-12 0-4 13, Tashun Pender 4-10 0-0 8, Dorian Pruitt 4-8 0-0 11, Jaxson Cathcart 3-3 0-0 8, Simon Gurial 0-0 0-0 0, Victor Hatungimana 0-0 0-0 0, Jon Roberts 1-1 4-4 6, Jean Lucas Beleoken 0-0 0-1 0, Carter Loney 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 38-65 6-12 94.
Southwestern — Theos Alexandersson 2-11 0-0 5, Michael Smith 4-9 1-2 9, Justine De La Cruz 3-8 1-1 8, Myles Opare 6-11 0-0 13, Niko Wilson 0-7 0-0 0, Luka Peclj 2-4 0-0 6, Bayley Latthenstein 1-5 1-2 3, Benoit Ndione 4-5 0-0 10, Noa Dauget 1-1 0-0 2, Ethan Crawford 1-2 0-0 3. Totals: 24-63 3-5 59.
Halftime score: Iowa Central led 42-25. Three-point goals: Iowa Central 12-28 (Lueth 2-5, Mitchell 1-2, Wynter 3-6 Sempere 0-1, Cain 1-4, Pender 0-2, Pruitt 3-6, Cathcart 2-2), Southwestern 8-25. Total rebounds: Iowa Central 44, Southwestern 29. Assists: Iowa Central 19, Southwestern 11. Turnovers: Iowa Central 9, Southwestern 11.

