It’s a rescheduled homecoming matchup tonight on the KCII Area Game of the Week, as Keota hosts BGM in a basketball doubleheader.
Keota girls have played just two games in 2024 so far. The Eagles dropped their most recent game to ninth-ranked North Mahaska after picking up their second win of the season over Colfax Mingo January 5. Kennedy Jackson went off for 27 points and a double-double in the victory. Jackson is behind just Kimberly Clarahan in points for a Keota team averaging less than 30 per night. Defensively, the Eagles allow nearly 50. Keota shoots 27 percent from the floor, just under 24 percent from three, and 42 percent from the free throw line to go with 24 rebounds, eight assists, nine steals, and 24 turnovers per game.
They welcome BGM, who is also 2-7 on their side of the South Iowa Cedar League. The Bears ride a two-game winning streak into Keota after taking down Colfax Mingo 48-19 last Friday. The girls of BGM would also like to get their offense going in the new year, scoring 37 points per game and giving up just under 46. The Bears have the edge in shooting percentage, free throw percentage, rebounds, steals, and blocks. Tonight’s contest is the rubber match between these two opponents, who have each won 11 of the last 22. The last three have gone to the Eagles.
The boys hit the floor next, with Keota looking to uphold its perfect 12-0 record. It’s been more than a week since their last game action, a 74-64 win over North Mahaska. The Eagles had four different scorers in double figures, including Sawyer Stout, who reached 1,000 career points one game earlier. Collectively, Keota’s boys are top ten in 1A basketball in rebounds, blocks, field goals attempted and made, and three point attempts. Per game, the Eagles score just over 75 points and allow 45. Their recipe for success has been a combination of tough defense, putting up a high volume of shots, and owning the glass.
They have their work cut out for them with a BGM team entering the night 5-8. The Bears have won three of their last four, most recently a three-point victory over Colfax-Mingo. Averaging 46 points per game and allowing 54, no 1A team gets to the line more than BGM. They’ve made 141 of their free throws, the fourth-most in the class, and are also top ten in rebounds. They could be susceptible to Keota’s backcourt defense, entering the night with more than 20 turnovers per night. History favors the Eagles, who have won a staggering 26 in a row over BGM.
Keota homecoming basketball can be heard tonight on the KCII3 Stream. Pregame coverage starts at 5:30 p.m., followed by the girls at 6, then the boys on the Area Game of the Week.