SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Former Warsaw basketball standout Kyle Mangas added to his impressive collegiate resumé Saturday.
Mangas, a freshman at Indiana Wesleyan University and the reigning Crossroads League Player of the Year, poured in 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as the Wildcats beat Morningside College (Iowa) 86-68 in the quarterfinals of the NAIA DII national tournament.
Mangas, who scored 1,450 points and graduated from Warsaw as the program’s fourth-leading scorer, entered Saturday’s game with 756 points, which tied him with Lane Mahurin atop IWU’s single season scoring chart.
Mangas put his name atop the list alone with a turnaround jumper early in the game.
The Wildcats opened the game on an 8-0 run and led 43-26 at halftime, as they advanced to the national semifinals of the 32-team tournament.
Evan Maxwell, a 6-foot-10 post presence that gives IWU an incredible one-two punch, scored 22 points.
IWU improved to 29-7 on the season with its seventh straight win.
The Wildcats play IU-East, the tournament’s overall No. 1 seed, tonight. IU-East is 33-2 and on a 28-game win streak.
Of the four teams remaining in the tournament, three are from the Hoosier State – two from the Crossroads League.
In tonight’s second semifinal game, St. Francis will play College of Idaho, a 75-47 winner over Crossroads League member Marian University.
The championship game is scheduled for Tuesday evening.
St. Francis improved to 28-8 on the season and advanced to the final four with a 90-79 win over Cornerstone University Saturday.
St. Francis has won five of its last six games, with the only loss coming to IWU in the Crossroads League tournament finals.
