MIFFLIN — The Iowa–Grant boys basketball team got healthy with a pair of recent lopsided victories.
Coach Ryan Hill’s Panthers snapped a three-game losing streak with a dominating 70–37 conference win over struggling Riverdale on Friday night.
Senior forward Chad Thomas went to work on the winless Chieftains to the tune of a career-high 28 points on 12 of 18 shooting. He also grabbed a co-game-high 14 rebounds. Thomas scored 18 of his points in the first half as Iowa–Grant raced out to a 41–15 halftime advantage.
Senior point guard Caleb Hill posted a double–double of his own with 18 points and 14 rebounds and also passed out a game-high eight assists, many of those on post feeds to Thomas. Junior Jackson Vigen buried a pair of 3-pointer and grabbed four board for the winners. Senior Charlie Richards chipped in four points, four rebounds and six assists.
Iowa–Grant improved to 4–3 in the Southwestern Wisconsin Activities League with the win, while last place Riverdale fell to 0–11 overall and 0–6 in the SWAL with the loss.
Monday night, the Panthers got back to .500 on the season with another blowout victory, this one 68–28 non-conference win over visiting Belmont.
Vigen scored 10 of his game-high 16 points in the first half to lead a balance offensive attack as Iowa–Grant raced to a 36–12 lead against the winless Braves (0–14). Four different Panthers scored in double figures as I–G improved to 6–6 on the season. Hill scored 13 points, Thomas had 12 and freshman guard Michael Winders chipped in 10 points on five field goals.
Junior forward Jake Wedig scored a team-high nine points to lead Belmont. Fellow junior Jake Wedig finished with seven points and freshman Brady Wedig added five points.
Iowa–Grant will return to action Thursday night against visiting Southwestern (6–7, 3–4 SWAL). The Panthers will then travel to Richland Center (5–7) for a non-conference game on Monday.
Belmont will travel to Highland (9–4, 5–1 SRW) Thursday night before traveling to SRW-leading Shullsburg (13–0, 6–0 SRW) on Tuesday.
Iowa–Grant 70, Riverdale 37
(from Friday, Jan. 20 @ Iowa–Grant)
Riverdale 15 22 — 37
Iowa–Grant 41 29 — 70
Riverdale (0–11, 0–6) — Haffner 5, Schaefer 5, Anderson 6, Friebranz 5, Mueller 12, Sperry 4. Totals – 13 7-15 37.
Iowa–Grant (5–6, 4–3) — Caleb Hill 18, Erik Raimer 3, Jackson Vigen 6, Charlie Richards 4, Chad Thomas 28, Michael Winders 4, Payton Simon 4, Gerrit Hunt 3. Totals – 28 11-18 70.
3-point goals — R: 4 (Haffner 1, Friebranz 1, Mueller 2); IG: 3 (Vigen 2, Simon 1). Total fouls — R: 14; R: 14. Fouled out — R: Sperry.
Iowa–Grant 68, Belmont 28
(from Monday, Jan. 23 @ Iowa–Grant)
Belmont 12 16 — 28
Iowa–Grant 36 32 — 68
Belmont (0–14) — Ethan James 2, Colin Austin 4, Riley Cutler 1, Jake Wedig 9, Jake Amenda 7, Brady Wedig 5. Totals – 12 2-10 28.
Iowa–Grant (6–6) — Caleb Hill 13, Erik Raimer 4, Jackson Vigen 16, Chad Thomas 12, Michael Winders 10, Payton Simon 4, Gerrit Hunt 5, Tom Reuter 2, Drew Johnson 2. Totals – 28 8-15 68.
3-point goals — B: 2 (Wedig, Amenda 1); IG: 4 (Hill 1, Raimer 1, Vigen 2). Total fouls — B: 12; IG: 7. Fouled out — none.