After blowouts and competitive defeats, some disappointment and hundreds of miles on the road, one thing the Vermilion Ironhawks mens basketball team badly needed Monday night was a win.
And they delivered. With sophomore Mudia Gbowa leading the way, nailing six three-point baskets and scoring a game-high 31 points, Vermilion held on in the second half and held off the St. Scholastica JV 74-70 at the college gymnasium.
The win was just the second for the Ironhawks this winter, against 10 defeats, and it was the first victory for them since an early-November triumph over Rochester.
It also came on the heels of back-to-back, lopsided home defeats over the weekend against two unbeaten, nationally ranked foes - Anoka- Ramsey and Riverland.
Monday’s contest at the at-times frenzied Vermilion Gymnasium was different.
Gbowa found the range from long distance, and the Ironhawks fed off the energy from a loud home audience, particularly when the Saints made a late run.
Gbowa, a 6-3 sophomore from Baltimore, had a career night.
On the way to 31 points, he was 12-for-18 from the field overall, adding seven rebounds as well.
Vermilion sophomores NaTorrius Truitt (12 points) and Rashad Parms (11) also reached double figures, while DeJaylen Campbell dished out five assists and had seven rebounds.
The Ironhawks, who led 39-36 at the break, overcame 30 points from the Saints’ Nebiyu Teklemariam.
• Vermilion was competitive for a half but eventually faded against Anoka-Ramsey (10-0).
The Rams outscored Vermilion 58-39 in the second stanza and rolled to a 101-74 triumph.
Five Rams scored in double figures, with Jamal Woods netting 17 points to pace his team.
Freshman Dorian Jackman had 16 points and seven rebounds for the Ironhawks, with Campbell (12), Gbowa (11) and Truitt (10) following in the scoring chart.
• Riverland, which is rated third nationally and has backto- back national tournament appearances, built an early lead Saturday and cruised 95-73.
Vermilion head coach Matt Shonder said his team competed better in the second half, when the Ironhawks nearly played the Blue Devils to a standoff (44-41), but the early margin was too much to overcome.
Tristan Coleman scored 24 points and secured 10 rebounds for the winners, and teammate Lubab Kambalo knocked down four threepoint baskets on the way to 14 points.
Truitt scored 19 points, Campbell and Jackman were next with 11 and Izu Nkwocha finished with 10.
• Vermilion closes out the pre-holiday slate on its schedule this weekend with games at Minnesota West and Ridgewater.
After finals week at the school, the Ironhawks have a long break before Northern Division play begins in January.
