Powered by a red-hot shooting performance from beyond the arc, the Ironmen overwhelmed the Lincoln-Way West Warriors 67-43 on Saturday afternoon in a game that was effectively over by halftime. 

The Iron exploded out of the gate with a dominant 20-2 first-quarter run, fueled by a scorching start from Kenna Malinowski. The senior knocked down 6 of her 7 three-point attempts in the first half, finishing with 18 points.

Iron head coach Mr. Dave Feeney said Malinowski’s length and the quickness of her release make a challenge to defend. 

That, Feeney said, is “what makes Kenna such a weapon… she can really shoot it.”

Community’s hot hand continued throughout the game, with the team shooting 13 for 34 from deep, including an impressive 9 for 17 in the first half.

Marco Reynold’s presence in the paint freed up the Iron on the perimeter. 

“You could tell that Lincoln Way was concerned with Marco,” Feeney said, every time she caught the ball, the Warrior’s zone-defense collapsed. 

A’Meah Lester added to the offensive onslaught, going 4 for 6 from beyond the arc on her way to a game-high 23 points while dishing out 6 assists. 

“That was as confident and poised as I’ve seen A’Meah play,” Feeney said. “She just looked like she was always a half step ahead.” 

Rayna Powers made a balanced contribution with 5 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists, while Marco Reynolds chipped in 6 points and 2 assists. 

The victory, Community’s second straight, moves their season record to 19-6. The loss drops Lincoln-Way West, a team receiving votes in the latest AP poll, to 17-7. 

Looking ahead, the Ironmen will travel to Bloomington on Tuesday for a 7:00 p.m. tip-off as they look to maintain their momentum entering the final stretch of the season and move up in the Big 12 conference standings.