OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — The Iowa Lakes Community College men's basketball team faced a challenging weekend on the road at the Johnson County Classic, taking on two quality Kansas opponents in #9 Johnson County Community College and Highland Community College. Despite tough shooting nights, the Lakers showed grit and a competitive spirit, highlighted by a second-half comeback effort against Highland on Saturday.
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Friday, Nov. 7 – Johnson County 79, Iowa Lakes 50
The Lakers opened their road trip against a disciplined Johnson County team that capitalized on Iowa Lakes' offensive struggles.
The Lakers showed energy in a strong defensive start, keeping the game within 1 possession until 5 minutes remained in the first half. Johnson County's ball movement proved too much down the stretch as the Lakers were unable to generate consistent scoring runs.
Despite a difficult night from the field, Iowa Lakes found energy off the bench from Jorge Castro and Germaal Forde, who scored 12 and 11 points, respectively. Steven Martinez (8) and Dominic Preiser (6) led the Lakers in rebounding.
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Saturday, Nov. 8 – Highland 81, Iowa Lakes 77
The Lakers showed resilience in their second game of the trip, battling back from a 16-point halftime deficit to nearly steal a road win vs Highland. Iowa Lakes tightened defensively and played with renewed urgency in the second half, cutting the lead to one possession late before falling 81–77.
Jermaine Freeman led all scorers with 26 points on 11 shots, adding 3 rebounds. Freeman was 14-16 from the free throw line. Byron Maina added 12 points, while Steven Martinez and Timothy Ofesieach anchored the frontcourt — Martinez finishing with 7 points and 10 rebounds, and Ofesi adding 12 points and 8 rebounds. Jack Wadlington chipped in 6 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds, and Germaal Forde again provided solid production off the bench with 7 points and 5 rebounds.
Despite the loss, the Lakers out-rebounded Highland 39–25 and showed improved defensive discipline, offensive execution and toughness after halftime.
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Looking Ahead — The Lakers head to Marshalltown Community College next weekend for the Emerson Classic. They will take on #15 Bryant and Stratton (WI) on Friday at 3 pm and Rock Valley College on Saturday at 3 pm. Lakers looking to build on their second-half performance at Highland and continue their development early in the season.