Norfolk, Nebraska

A first-half rally and a second-half run paved the way for Iowa Western Men's basketball's victory over Northeast (NE) at the Cox Activities Center.

The Reivers rallied to take a five-point lead into the halftime break after the Hawks led by six on a pair of occasions.

"Offensively we moved and shared the ball.  Defensively we were able to consistently get stops." Said Head Coach Chad Van Riessen, "I thought our guys did a great job of focusing, possession by possession, the whole game and continually making plays to maintain the lead and control the game."

Dewayne Vass led the charge, scoring 16 of his game-high 27 points in the first.  Dhashon Dyson added eight as the Reivers led 41-36 to end the first.  Dyson came off the bench to finish as the Reivers second leading scorer with 12, one of four Reivers to reach double figures.

After seeing the lead shrink to three to open the second half, the Reivers grabbed a 12-0 run to build momentum, with Vass adding five and assisting on another basket during the run. In addition to his 27 points, the freshman added six steals, six assists and five rebounds, while Elijah Pickens chipped in another four helpers to go along with his 10 points on the night.

Northeast would get within as few as four before the Reivers pulled ahead for the final margin. 

"I'm glad our guys go rewarded for their hard work and preparation leading into this game by getting a good win on the road."

 Joe Doyle scored only a pair of points, but grabbed a team-high nine boards, while Roland McCoy added another 11 points for Iowa Western.

The Reivers will play their second in a row on the road when the travel to Mason City on Saturday face North Iowa Area.  The game with the Trojans is scheduled to tip at 3:00 pm as part of a double-header of hoops with the NIACC and Iowa Western women.

Follow the team on Twitter https://twitter.com/ReiverMBB or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/reivermbb/

#SailsUP