Tuesday December 10th Local Sports

TONIGHT:

AM-1300 KGLO, kgloam.com — Newman vs. Nashua-Plainfield — girls 6:15, boys follow

MASON CITY — For the first time in 40 years and for only the second time in school history, the NIACC men’s basketball team is the top-ranked team in the nation. The Trojans moved into the #1 spot in the junior college Division II rankings on Monday after being ranked second last week, with NIACC picking up a 98-68 win over Southwestern to open up conference play. Last week’s top-ranked team, Johnson County Community College of Kansas, dropped a game to North Central Missouri College 91-79. The last time NIACC was ranked #1 was in the January 11th, 1978 poll, when there was only one division for all of junior college basketball. Following the Trojans in the poll’s top five are Schoolcraft of Michigan, Sullivan County of New York, South Suburban of Illinois and North Central Missouri. Conference foes DMACC and Kirkwood are ranked seventh and 12th in this week’s rankings. NIACC’s top ranking will be tested this weekend as the Trojans head to Overland Park Kansas to face now-10th-ranked Johnson County on Friday and 19th-ranked Highland on Saturday.

== In the women’s rankings, Kirkwood and NIACC are #1 and #2 in this week’s poll. Kirkwood remained #1 from last week’s rankings, getting all of this week’s first-place votes. NIACC moves up one spot to the second rung in the rankings with a perfect 12-0 record. Rounding up the top five are Kansas City Kansas, Lincoln Land of Illinois and Johnson County.

MASON CITY — The Clear Lake girls outscored Mason City 8-1 in the final 54 seconds of the game to pick up a 71-64 win last night in Mason City, as you heard on AM-1490/96.7-FM KRIB and kribam.com. Sara Faber had 26 points while Darby Dodd had six three-pointers to add 22 points off the bench for the Lions, who are now 4-0 on the season. Clear Lake was 23-27 from the free-throw line, including 13-16 in the fourth quarter. Anna Deets led Mason City with 29 points while Jaeda Whitner added nine. The Mohawks went 20-25 from the free throw line, but suffer their first loss of the season, dropping to 4-1.

== After being down by 16 midway through the third quarter, the Clear Lake boys went on a 29-10 run in the final 12 minutes of the game to beat Mason City 67-64, as you also heard on KRIB. Junior Andrew Formanek had 27 points to lead Clear Lake, while Jack Barragy added 13 and Carson Toebe had 11 for the Lions. Jeff Skogen had 22 points while Corey Miner added 18 for the Mohawks, who drop to 2-1 on the season.

Both Clear Lake teams travel to Iowa Falls-Alden on Friday in North Central Conference play, a doubleheader you’ll hear on KRIB starting at 6:15 with the girls game with the boys game to follow. The Mohawks will travel to West Des Moines on Friday to take on Valley, a doubleheader you’ll hear starting shortly before 6:15 on AM-1300 KGLO and kgloam.com

IOWA CITY — After giving up 103 points in a loss at Michigan Iowa picked it up defensively in a 72-52 win over Minnesota, as you heard last night on AM-1300 KGLO. Joe Wieskamp scored 16 of his game-high 23 points in the first half.

After scoring 44 points in the loss at Michigan junior center Luka Garza added 21 points and 10 rebounds.

Iowa coach Fran McCaffery says it was Wieskamp’s defense in the second half that halted a Gopher rally.

Iowa is 7-3 overall and 1-1 in the conference and will travel to Iowa State on Thursday. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 o’clock with the pre-game at 6 o’clock on KGLO.

CEDAR FALLS — The Northern Iowa men take an 8-1 record on the road to play Colorado tonight. The Buffs are ranked 24th and coming off their first loss of the season at Kansas.

That’s UNI coach Ben Jacobson who says Tad Boyle has built a solid program.

After tonight’s game the road trip continues Thursday at Grand Canyon University.

IOWA CITY — Iowa defensive end A.J. Epenesa says the Holiday Bowl offers a marquee opponent for the Hawkeyes. After a 9-3 regular season the Hawkeyes will play USC in their first visit to the Holiday Bowl since 1991.

Iowa junior receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette.

Defensive back Michael Ojemudia says the USC passing attack offers a challenge.

The Holiday Bowl is Friday December 27th with a 7 o’clock Iowa time kickoff.

AMES — Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy looks forward to the chance to play Notre Dame. The Cyclones and Fighting Irish collide in the Camping World Bowl in Orlando on December 28th.