Pride drop weekend finale to Coe 76-68

DUBUQUE, Iowa - Playing their second game in as many days, the Clarke University men's basketball team was unable to pull out a win to close out the Clarke Classic in a 76-68 loss to Coe College on Saturday afternoon in the Kehl Center.

As both teams were seemingly feeling each other out over the first 10 minutes of the game, the Pride would go on a 14-4 run for CU to lead by nine points at 27-18 with just under seven minute remaining in the half capped off by Carson Lindauer's second three pointer of that run.

The Kohawks would go on to finish the half outscoring Clarke 19-8 to lead 37-35 at halftime but Clarke would jump out to regain the lead early in the second half to the tune of a 44-39 advantage under four minutes into the half, forcing Coe to call a timeout.

A 6-0 run that would extend to 11-1 would give CC the lead behind a Jackson Newell layup while getting fouled and hitting the and-one free throw on opposite ends of a CU 30-second timeout.

Holding onto that lead for the next seven minutes before a pair of Maximiliano Bowman three pointers would give the Pride a pair of three-point leads at 59-56 and 62-59 but again, a half-ending run would see Coe outscore Clarke 17-6 and pull away late to their eight-point win.

Coe's Bennett Sherry was the game's leading scorer and rebounder with a 23-point, 10-rebound double-double as his scoring support came from fellow starters Cole Hrubes and Cooper Nailor adding 14 points with no other player for the Kohawks finishing with over five points.

Bowman made a strong early impression in just his second game for the Pride as the Tulane transfer scored a team-high 22 points on 8-of-17 (47%) shooting from the field while going 3-of-7 (42.8%) from three point range and adding nine rebounds.

Daquon Lewis added 17 points and five rebounds, Jake Layman had eight points, and Lindauer had seven points as Clarke would finish shooting 23-of-52 (40.4%) from the field and 8-of-22 (36.4%) from three point range.

Clarke men's basketball will play another non-conference game next Wednesday when they travel to Davenport, Iowa on Nov. 6 to face St. Ambrose University for a 7:00 p.m. CT scheduled tip between the Pride and Fighting Bees.