In their sixth Crossroads League matchup, the No. 3 IWU Wildcats faced their toughest test of the season in the young, yet talented Huntington Foresters.
The Foresters played well for most of the contest, shooting 52.3 percent from the field and recording the second-best scoring output against the Wildcats this season.
“They played hard, and they competed from start to finish,” IWU Head Coach Greg Tonagel said. “We knew it wasn’t going to be easy. That’s a good ball club, and Kory [Alford] is a good, young coach who is going to do some good things there.”
However, the staunch play of Kyle Mangas, a double-digit run in the first half, and the Wildcats’ dominance on the glass proved to be the difference, as IWU remained undefeated with a 115-89 win over their longtime league foe.
“I thought we came out with a punch,” Tonagel said. “We came out ready to play. We were really locked in, and when we are locked in like that, we are pretty tough.”
Mangas played with a chip on his shoulder and with a purpose all afternoon, scoring 31 points and collecting six rebounds and seven assists. The Foresters had no answers for the defending Bevo Francis Player of the Year, who knocked down 12 of his 20 shots and two-of-five from the perimeter.
“Kyle is the ultimate competitor,” Tonagel said. “Of any kid I’ve ever coached, he shows up every single night. There is never a night where he thinks it’s going to be easy. There is never a night where he takes a rest, and that includes practices. That’s what makes him special.”
As a team, the Wildcats crashed the glass on both ends, outrebounding the Foresters by a commanding 43-18 margin, including a 19-6 ratio in the opening 20 minutes. Of their 43 rebounds, 15 came on the offensive glass, which led to 23 second chance points and 58 total points in the paint.
“We’ve been trying to improve rebounding, and tonight, we got 15 offensive rebounds,” Tonagel said. “That was an emphasis.”
Four other players finished in double figures, including Dylan Alderson, who scored 23 points, 17 of which came in the second half. Seth Maxwell scored 17 points and collected five rebounds, while Tayson Parker added 12 points and six boards off the bench.
However, it was Michael Thompson III, finishing with 19 points on a perfect seven-of-seven shooting from the field, who sparked the Wildcats to their 13th consecutive victory to start the season.
The game was close in the early stages, as both teams traded baskets. Mangas scored five of IWU’s first seven points, but former Oak Hill star Caleb Middlesworth scored a basket in the paint to make it a 7-6 Wildcat advantage with 17:46 showing on the clock.
On the Wildcats’ next possession, Thompson III knocked down a corner three and was fouled, granting him the opportunity for a rare four-point play. He knocked down the ensuing free throw, giving the Wildcats a five-point lead, and from that moment on, the Wildcats controlled the contest.
Thompson III brings energy and enthusiasm to the starting lineup, and it has played a key role in IWU’s success throughout this season. His positivity and optimism have helped foster the winning culture which the Wildcats have established this year.
Thompson III’s four-point play sparked an 18-0 run for the Wildcats in the following three-plus minutes. Mangas and Maxwell each scored a pair of baskets, while Alderson recorded a three, as the Wildcats built a 24-6 lead with 14:15 remaining in the first half – one they would not relinquish.
“He’s a special kid,” Tonagel said of Thompson III. “It’s all about the intangibles with Michael. He’s a leader, and he is always thinking about other people. When you have a guy on your team that is always trying to elevate his teammates, that stuff spreads, and it’s contagious.”
The Wildcats led by 18 points at halftime, and they continued well, particularly on offense, in the second half. Their lead never dropped below 20, and they led by as many as 28 before securing the 26-point triumph.
With the win, the Wildcats improved to 13-0 on the season and 6-0 in Crossroads League play. No other team in the Crossroads League has more than two league wins.
As a team, the Wildcats shot a remarkable 62.5 percent from the field (45-of-72) and 59.1 percent (13-of-22) from beyond the arc.
The Wildcats hit the road for a three-game series in Arizona the week before Christmas, taking on Park University, Arizona Christian University, and Benedictine University at Mesa.
“We have to continue [to work] on rebounding and defense,” Tonagel said. “I wasn’t overly pleased with today defensively. Sometimes it’s hard when you’re up 25, but you have to learn to make it harder on the other team. We will try to tighten that up in Phoenix.”
