COMMUNITY JOURNALISM: Iowa Conference basketball tournament tips off tonight

Coe's Caitlin Kray drives between Shane Brown (left) and Taylor Dicus of Cornell during a game at Coe on Feb. 8. Both teams are in the Iowa Conference tournament with Cornell playing tonight and Coe awaiting the semifinals on Thursday. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette)

By Chad Cooper, community contributor

CEDAR RAPIDS — The Coe men and women are streaking into the postseason and have high seeds and high expectations for the Iowa Conference basketball tournaments.

The Cornell women clinched their first tournament berth in six years and travel to third-seeded Dubuque tonight.

The Luther men also made the field are at No. 4 Central tonight.

Cornell defeated Buena Vista, 76-62, on Saturday to secure the sixth seed. The Rams finished the regular season at 9-14, 7-9 in conference. Cornell is led by freshman guard Rikki Mulloy at 16 points per game. Mulloy had a career-high 29 points against Buena Vista and finished the regular season as the leading scorer in the Iowa Conference.

Freshman center and former Mount Vernon prep standout Taylor Dicus and junior forward Camille Marie-Lidd of Cedar Rapids Washington also have helped the Rams. Marie-Lidd is second on the team in scoring at 12 points per game and second in rebounding at almost eight boards per contest.

Coe got first-round byes and will host semifinal games Thursday at 5 and 7 p.m.

The Coe men clinched the Iowa Conference title and secured the No. 1 seed by beating Luther on Saturday at Eby Fieldhouse. The Kohawks finished the regular season at 18-7 and 12-4 in conference. The Kohawks are by junior guard David Mataloni at 16 points per game. Coe is also anchored by strong inside play from post players Seth Light and Kevin Gaster.

The Coe women defeated Luther, 81-56, on Saturday to secure the second seed. The Kohawks finished the regular season at 18-7 (12-4 in conference), trailing only Simpson in conference play.

Coe is led senior guard Kayla Waskow at more than 15 points per game. The Kohawks have a balanced scoring attack with three players averaging double-figures.

MEN

Tonight

No. 5 Luther (16-8, 10-6) at No. 4 Central (18-7, 10-6), 7 p.m.

No. 6 Simpson (11-13, 8-8) at No. 3 Dubuque (17-8, 11-5), 8 p.m.

Thursday

Luther-Central winner at No. 1 Coe (18-7, 12-4), 7 p.m.

Simpson-Dubuque winner at No. 2 Buena Vista (15-10, 11-5), 7 p.m.

Saturday

Semifinal winners at highest seed

WOMEN

Tonight

No. 6 Cornell (9-14, 7-9) at No. 3 Dubuque (15-10, 10-6), 6 p.m.

No. 5 Loras (14-11, 9-7) at No. 4 Wartburg (17-8, 10-6), 7 p.m.

Thursday

Cornell-Dubuque winner at No. 2 Coe (18-7, 12-4), 5 p.m.

Loras-Wartburg winner at No. 1 Simpson (20-5, 13-3), 7 p.m.

Saturday

Semifinal winners at highest seed