The Ironmen celebrated Senior Night in style with a commanding 59-11 victory over the Champaign Centennial Chargers in Big 12 Conference play on Jan. 14. 

The win snapped Community’s two-game skid and improved the Ironmen’s record to 17-4 overall and 4-1 in conference play. The Chargers dropped to 3-12 on the season and 1-5 in the Big 12.

In front of the largest home crowd of the season, the Ironmen’s eight seniors shone, contributing 45 of the team’s points as head coach Mr. Dave Feeney started an all-senior lineup. 

Community controlled the contest from start to finish, surging to a 26-3 lead in the first quarter and taking a 43-7 advantage into halftime.

Kenna Malinowski led all scorers with 13 points, shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from inside the arc. In 12 minutes of play, Malinowski added seven rebounds and three assists to the stat sheet. 

Marco Reynolds netted eight points, going 4-for-8 inside, while Camry Fisher and Tatum Yokley each chipped in six.

The Ironmen’s defense stifled Centennial, limiting the Chargers to just 14.3% shooting from the field and forcing 30 turnovers in the contest. 

Community finished the night with 13 steals as Malinowski and A’Meah Lester each recorded three and Fisher added two.

The Ironmen capitalized on their defensive pressure, turning turnovers into 26 points.

The Iron’s dominance on the boards was another key to their success, as they outrebounded Centennial on offense 18-6, scoring 15 second chance points. 

With the win, the Ironmen turn their attention to a non-conference matchup when they travel to Dunlap to face a 13-9 Eagles team on Jan. 20.