Fast Start Leads Tritons to 96-78 Victory Over NIACC

With only three games left in the regular season, every game for the Triton Men is an important one as they continue to look for the third seed in the upcoming ICCAC Region 11 Tournament.

A big win over NIACC on Sunday afternoon in Mason City brought them one step closer. The Tritons came out and set the tone early, making 12 of their first 13 3PT attempts in the first half and jumped out to a 56-25 lead at the half. "It was an unbelievable first half for us," said Triton Head Coach, Ryan Kirsch, on the quick start by the Tritons. "It couldn't have been a better first half. One of the best, if not the best, halves we've played this year. But, the message was still to keep the gas pedal down and crank up the defensive intensity."

NIACC would score 53 points in the second half, but it wasn't enough to close the gap and the Tritons would go on to the important 96-78 victory. "Our defensive effort was off the charts tonight," said Kirsch. "We put a lot of pressure on their guards. It's hard to keep that level up for 40 minutes."

The Tritons were led by Jalen Wynter with 20 points. Jordan Cain added 18 points with three rebounds. CJ Mitchell scored 8 points to go with 8 assists, 4 steals, and had no turnovers while handling the ball for the Tritons.

The win moved the Tritons to 8-8 in the conference and into a three-way tie with NIACC and Iowa Western for fourth place in the standings. "It was a much needed win on the road. Our goal is to host a tournament game." said Kirsch on the victory. "We're playing our best basketball of the year. Every possession has meaning. If we just do what we do, we'll like where we're at."

Up next for the Tritons is a conference matchup with Northeast on Wednesday (2/19) in Hodges Fieldhouse. Tip is set for 7:30 PM. Dakota County visits Hodges on Saturday (2/22) as the Tritons recognize their sophomores on Sophomore Day before finishing the regular season at Western Iowa Tech in Sioux City the following Wednesday (2/26).

Statistical Leaders vs. NIACC –
Points – Jalen Wynter (20), Jordan Cain (18), Daviyon Gaston (10), Terrius Walker (9)
Rebounds – Terrius Walker (6), Jordan Cain (3), Four Tritons tied with two.
Assists – CJ Mitchell (8), Daviyon Gaston (5), Four Tritons tied with two.
Steals – CJ Mitchell (4), Four Tritons tied with one.