DUBUQUE, Iowa – The Loras College men's basketball team defeated the Coe College Kohawks, 72-71, in a thrilling American Rivers Conference semifinal matchup at home Thursday evening. 

The first half was a back-and-forth affair between two squads who fought tooth and nail for the entirety of the game. The score was tied at 11 after seven minutes of play before an 8-2 Duhawk run gave the Purple and Gold a six-point lead (19-12). The Kohawks went on a run of their own to tie the game at 22 with about six minutes left in the first half.  The momentum stayed in Coe's (19-8 overall, 10-6 A-R-C) favor as it used a 9-2 run to make the score 33-26 with just under four minutes left to play in the first. The Duhawks (19-7, 12-4) were able to fight back thanks to buckets from Nolan Berendes and Jack Haynes and went into the halftime break trailing by just one point (36-35).  

Coe controlled the second half, extending its lead to 10 (53-43) within the first seven minutes of play. A pair of made free throws from Damyen Jackson along with a dunk from Haynes ignited a 17-9 run for the Purple and Gold over the next six and a half minutes, allowing them to reclaim the lead 60-59 with seven minutes remaining in the contest. The lead changed hands twice more in an intense final five minutes. The Kohawks closed the lead to within one, but it was not enough. An offensive foul from Coe on the final possession secured the 72-71 semifinal victory for the Duhawks.  

The Duhawks were led by Haynes who had 22 points, seven rebounds, and a season-high two blocks. He was followed by Jackson who posted a career-high 20 points and Berendes who contributed 14 points, nine rebounds, and a pair of blocks.  

As a team, the Duhawks shot 51 percent (26-of-51) from the field and 31.3 percent (5-of-16) from beyond the arc.  

Up Next: The Duhawks will take on the No. 4 seed University of Dubuque for the A-R-C Tournament Championship on Saturday, Feb. 28. Tip off is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Lillis Court.