After a stellar performance Monday against Graceland University, the Wildcats snagged a postseason tournament bid and an opportunity for a rematch against MidAmerica Nazarene University.
After being postponed Saturday due to weather, the Yellowjackets finally made the trip Monday to Collins Center, but left with a 96-87 loss.
For the Wildcats, the victory marked the first trip to the postseason tournament for anyone on the roster.
Senior Bret Shaw said the team went in with the mentality it was not going to lose.
“I’m pretty sure all of us just knew we weren’t going to lose,” Shaw said.
After an up-tempo game, the Wildcats scored the same amount of points as they did in Lamoni, Iowa.
Senior Heath Baird led the team on senior night with 22 points, and went 50 percent from the field.
Junior duo Malcolm Greer and Brock Entner showed it wasn’t only the seniors’ night to shine and dropped 21 and 17, respectively.
Senior Nick Iversen went seven for 11 from the free-throw line, and ended with 16 points.
Going into halftime, the Wildcats were up 45-37. Leading the Yellowjackets by only one in the second half, head coach Rick Weaver said the game was won by the all-over scoring effort.
“We had a balanced scoring effort, and we managed to get Graceland’s big guys in foul trouble,” Weaver said. “We were able to keep from having a scoring drought and made some key shots when we needed them.”
Iversen said the team had one goal in the last regular season game: to keep going.
“It was pretty straightforward: we win, we’re in,” he said. “We knew what we had to do, and Graceland was already out of the tournament, so I don’t think their motivation was all there.”
Senior Justin Houser almost matched his boards and points, pulling eight and putting up nine.
The Wildcats traveled to MidAmerica Thursday for the first round of the postseason tournament. Results were unavailable at presstime.
Iversen said they know it will be tough, but the Wildcats know what they must do for an upset.
“They have too much pride to take this game lightly,” he said. “We have to stay out of foul trouble and not turn the ball over. We have as good a shot as anybody.”
The Pioneers enter the tournament ranked No. 1 in the conference with a 23-7 overall record. MidAmerica was also 19-1 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.
The Pioneers beat the Wildcats convincingly in their previous meeting, 80-59 in Olathe.
