Gibson Berns | Contributing Writer
Saturday night was a busy day for everyone on Buena Vista University’s (BVU) campus. Siebens Fieldhouse was pinked out on Saturday afternoon for the double-header between the host Buena Vista Beavers and the visiting Simpson Storm. The Beaver women were trying to stay alive for the last spot in the conference tournament, while the Beaver men tried to extend their lead in the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC).
The Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) put on the “pink-out” day that went over very well in Siebens Fieldhouse. Students and other fans in the best pink outfits were called down during halftime of both games, and the winners were decided by the cheering of fans. Paul Gallagher announced winners during the women’s game, and Becca Pennington announced the winners during the men’s game.
It was also Senior Night for multiple Beavers: three on the women’s team and seven on the men’s team. Shelby Wiederhoeft, Becca Pennington, and Erica Ollendieck were the women honored before their last game on their home court, and Tyler Kastantin, Grady Gallagher, Alex Savage, Greg Sibinhaller, Nick Wuebker, Brett Heitkamp, and Cole Darrow were the men honored before their game.
“We will miss [the seniors] because of their leadership and their personalities. They are just a fun group of guys to be around, and they bring a lot to our program and make it special,” Men’s Head Coach Brian Van Haaften said.
The Beaver women came into the game at 3-8 in the conference and 8-14 overall. Senior center Shelby Wiederhoeft, who scored her 1,000th career point last Wednesday, Feb. 11, described her feelings going into her final home game.
“It was tough, but at the same time I was excited for the big game. It was pretty bittersweet as well,” Wiederhoeft said.
The Beavers faced a middle-of-the pack Storm from Simpson that came into the contest at 5-6 in the conference and 15-7 overall. The Storm had defeated the Beavers back on January 10th at Simpson by eight points. The Beavers came into the game wanting to steal a win back and stay in the chase to make the tournament.
The first half went anything but smooth for the Beaver women, as they had 17 turnovers and only shot 29% from the field. They trailed 45-23, mostly due to those turnovers and the impressive shooting from the Storm. Simpson shot 54% from the field in the first half and 44% from the three-point line. The Beavers did not fare any better in the second half, as the final ended up 77-53 in favor of the Storm.
Wiederhoeft led the Beavers with 11 points to go along with six rebounds, four of them being offensive. The Storm were led by Whitney Van Wyk and Mackenzie Haupt, each with 11 points. The Beavers fell to 3-9 in the IIAC and 8-15 overall.
Wiederhoeft described the way to finish the year strong and win their final two conference games.
“We have to keep playing as a team. When we do that, I feel as if we are unstoppable. We have to keep our heads up and keep moving forward,” Wiederhoeft said.
Better news for Beaver fans though, the men favored better than the women winning 102-75. They avenged one of their two conference losses earlier this season when they had lost at Simpson by just three points.
“We adjusted from the previous meetings with the ball screens, trying not to let them into the paint and the middle of the floor. We also had our offense playing better and moving up and down the court,” Van Haaften said.
The game was a close one at the half, however, as the Beavers only led by 10, 53-43. They could never pull away from the Storm in the first half, as Simpson shot 80% from the three-point line compared to the Beavers 36%. But the Beaver defense turned up the pressure, and Simpson could not continue to stay hot from behind the arc, as they cooled down to 40% from three. For the game, the Beavers assisted on more than half of their made shots.
Sophomore Kennedy Drey led the Beavers in both points and rebounds, scoring 18 points and snagging 14 rebounds. Drey was once again named the IIAC Men’s Basketball Performer of the Week, making it the second time this season. Six Beavers ended up in double figures in the scoring column, and Brett Heitkamp added a double-double off the bench with 14 points and 12 rebounds. The Beavers now sit at 10-2 in the IIAC and 17-6 overall and are also ranked 16th in DIII.
The BVU basketball teams have two remaining regular season games, Wednesday, Feb. 18 at the University of Dubuque and Saturday, Feb. 21 at Coe College. The Beaver men will be looking to secure a conference title and gain momentum heading into the conference tournament.
