The Van Buren County Warriors earned their first back-to-back victories since the 2019-20 season, defeating Columbus 58-48 in a Southeast Iowa Super Conference interdivisional matchup on Monday, January 19th after defeating Davis County in the Fox River Rivalry on Saturday, January 17th. The win marked a statement victory for the South Division Warriors over North Division opponent Columbus.
Game Summary
Columbus jumped out to an early 13-12 lead after the first quarter in what proved to be a tightly contested battle throughout. Van Buren County responded with a strong second quarter to take a 24-20 halftime advantage. The Warriors extended their lead to 41-35 after three quarters, setting up a dramatic fourth quarter.
With six minutes remaining in the game, the score was knotted at 43-43. Van Buren County then went on a huge run, combining strong offensive execution with lockdown defense. The Warriors limited the Wildcats to just five points over the final six minutes while pulling away for the 58-48 victory.
Van Buren County Leaders
Jace Duncan dominated with a double-double performance of 18 points and 16 rebounds while adding two assists. He scored 12 of his 18 points in the second half when the Warriors needed him most. Will Cocherell added 17 points and six rebounds, also doing his heaviest damage in the second half with 16 of his points. Landry Loeffler contributed 11 points and four rebounds on efficient 4-of-7 shooting while dishing out two assists.
Kayden Simmons provided a crucial spark with eight points, all in the first half, along with seven rebounds, an assist, and zero turnovers on 4-of-8 shooting. Kinnick Millard added three points, six rebounds, an assist, a steal, and a block. Cree Kite grabbed three rebounds and recorded a steal. Brandon Taylor chipped in one point and two rebounds without committing a turnover.
Ellis Hills-Carrier led Columbus with 18 points in the losing effort.
By the Numbers
Van Buren County shot 38.9% from the field (21-of-54) and 33.3% from three-point range (8-of-24). The Warriors made 8-of-15 free throws and dominated the glass with 44 rebounds, more than doubling Columbus’ total of 22. Van Buren County recorded six assists and two steals while committing 14 turnovers and 15 fouls.
Columbus shot 29.8% from the field (17-of-57) and struggled from beyond the arc at 25% (10-of-40). The Wildcats made 4-of-8 free throws and grabbed just 22 rebounds while recording six assists and eight steals. They committed seven turnovers and 18 fouls.
Historic Milestone
The victory improved Van Buren County to 5-11 on the season while handing Columbus their sixth loss to fall to 7-6. More significantly, the win gave the Warriors back-to-back victories for the first time since the 2019-20 season. That previous streak came when Van Buren County defeated Cardinal 49-39 on December 6th, 2019, then followed up by beating Winfield-Mt. Union 51-43 the very next day on December 7th.
The Warriors will look to win again when they host conference opponent Danville on Friday, January 23rd, for Senior Night and Hall of Fame Inductions.
You can rewatch game here: https://youtube.com/live/C_WgzmEKJtk?feature=share
Photography courtesy of Kim Millard.
