Contact: Emily Adlfinger, Director of Athletic Communications, 563-588-79790
 
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (Feb. 22, 2021) – Led by senior Rowan McGowen's record-setting performance in a matchup of two highly competitive American Rivers Conference (A-R-C) foes, the Loras College men's basketball team (3-3, 3-3 A-R-C) battled the Coe College Kohawks (4-2, 4-2 A-R-C) from start to finish but came up just short, 85-81, following a late Kohawk run.

Griffen Clark got the scoring going for the Duhawks in the opening minute off the assist from Jake Healy and a McGowen three-pointer helped extend the lead early, 7-4. Coe came back to take a one-point lead off back-to-back layups but Cole Navigato found an open Clark for the three-pointer to give Loras back the lead. Coe tied it up again with 14:13 left in the half but Nick Savage found space in the paint for the jump shot and back-to-back buckets from Navigato gave Loras back a three-point, 18-15 lead with 12:19 on the clock. Both teams continued to fight for the advantage and it took nearly five minutes for the Kohawks to find the momentum and pull away with a five-point, 37-32 lead, the largest of the game, with 5:52 left in the half. Healy slowed the run with a layup and McGowen hit his record-tying three-pointer to tie the game 37-37 with 4:45 to play. Coe took back the lead on the next possession but the Duhawks continued battling to keep it close and a three-ball from Clark in the final ten seconds tied the game going into the half, 50-50.
 
The Kohawks opened the second half with an 8-0 run, giving the illusion of it being a one-sided affair, before McGowen put the first points up for the Duhawks with a jump shot and pair of free-throws. Navigato and Myles Barry helped bring the Duhawks within two points with 15:19 left in the half before  a jump shot with the and-one for Healy tied the game, 68-68. The Kohawks slowly worked to pull away yet again but the historic three-pointer for McGowen brought Loras within one and another three-pointer by Clark gave Loras the 74-72 lead with just under nine minutes left to play. A pair of layups from Barry and Healy and free-throws from McGowen and Navigato put Loras up 81, 77 with just over two minutes remaining but just as Coe began the half it ended it the same way, posting an 8-0 run to come away with the win as time expired.
 
McGowen led Loras with 19 points, shooting a perfect 6-6 at the line, and became the program leader for career three-pointers, scoring his 215th to surpass Jason Driscoll '98 (214) Navigato added a double-double with 13 points, ten rebounds and a team-high five assists and David Grintjes came off the bench to post ten points and seven rebounds. The Duhawks beat the Kohawks in rebounding, grabbing 40 to Coe's 37.
 
The Duhawks will play a non-conference matchup at Concordia University Chicago on Wednesday, Feb. 24. Tip-off is set for 7 P.M.