Wartburg Men's Basketball Running the Court
By Joshua Hamlyn
- Senior Drew Olson with the foul after a strong defensive stand against Simpson on Jan.29. Photo courtesy of Joshua Hamlyn.
Published 02/09/22
At the Half
Wartburg Men’s Basketball is at the halfway point of their conference season and going strong. The Knights are 15-4 overall and 8-2 in American Rivers Conference play.
The Knights have been good at keeping games close all season long, by making big plays on both ends of the floor. The offense of the Knights is shooting 49% from the field and 34 percent from the three-point this season. The defense is averaging 8 steals per game and 16 points per game off turnovers.
Last Time Out
The Knights are coming off a dominant conference win on Saturday over Simpson 81-67. In that game, the Knights shot 55% from the field and 31% from three-point range.
The Knights were able to build a lead early in this matchup and never looked back. Like many of the other wins, this season for the Knights their defense played a big role in their success gathering seven steals forcing 14 Storm turnovers.
The Knights were led in scoring by junior guard Jack Molestead who had 20 points and senior guard Davis Roquet (Rock-Key) who had 12 points.
From The Bench
Head Men’s Basketball Coach Dick Peth is in his 25th season. Peth just recently celebrated 600 career wins during the non-conference half of the Knights schedule.
“Our non-conference schedule has been really outstanding this year. It has given us a chance to prepare for the always challenging A-R-C,” said Peth.
In American Rivers Conference play the Knights are 8-2 and currently in second place behind the University of Dubuque.
-Junior Jack Molestead with the drive for two in a contest against Simpson on Jan 29th. Video courtesy of Joshua Hamlyn
Key Players
The guard play for the Knights is made up of upperclassmen who each play different roles on the court. Each player has been a key part of the team’s success. Both Drew Olson and Keagan John are seniors and Jake Molestead is a junior on the Knights roster.
“Drew Olson is leading us in scoring. Jack Molestead is right behind Drew and is leading us in assists. Keagan John has had a fantastic year thus far and is our best defender all the way around,” said Peth
The backcourt for the Knights is led by junior Briar Cliff University transfer, Codey Hicks. Hicks has made an instant impact this season for the Knights in rebounds with five per game and in post-offensive production with 11 points per game.
“We have Codey Hicks who has really done an awesome job thus far, he is second in the country in field goal percentage at just over 75 percent,” said Peth
On the Court
The Knights team this year has developed good chemistry and the goals of every player are in line with the team's goal of playing with tempo and teamwork on both ends of the floor.
“A dedicated group that is willing to put your own agendas aside to do everything they can to succeed together,” said Roquet.
Roquet has enjoyed his time on the team and highlighted the culture on the team at this point in the season.
“Success on the court has been encouraging and it definitely has kept us motivated to stay hungry to try and finish the season as strong as possible,” said Roquet.
What’s Next
The Knight’s next matchup is on the road this Wednesday at 7:30 pm in a rivalry matchup against Luther College in Decorah. Stay up to date on Knights Basketball on go-knights.net and Wartburg Basketball Insider.