Spartans’ Second-Half Rally Falls Short Against Iowa Central

Rickey Loftin

CRESTON, Iowa – The Southwestern men's basketball team put together a strong second-half push but couldn't complete the comeback, falling 65-58 to Iowa Central on Saturday afternoon. The loss drops the Spartans to 10-14 overall and 4-8 in ICCAC play.

Southwestern struggled to find a rhythm early, scoring just 18 points in the first half while Iowa Central built a 33-18 advantage at the break. Despite the slow start, the Spartans battled back in the second half, outscoring the Tritons 40-32 over the final 20 minutes.

Rickey Loftin led the Spartans with 11 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Donnary Fontenot also added 11 points. James Braddy chipped in 10 points, and Kael Jones contributed seven points and eight rebounds.

"Another incomplete game," head coach Darryl Fletcher said. "We started off bad in the first half and had to fight our way back. Once we can put 40 minutes together, we will be able to win more games."

The Spartans will look to regroup quickly with a home matchup against Northeast Community College on Wednesday before hitting the road to face Iowa Lakes on Saturday.