OTTUMWA, Iowa (Interstat) — The Indian Hills Warriors opened their season with a commanding 78-63 victory over the Pratt Beavers in a men’s junior college basketball game on Friday, overcoming a slow start with a dominant first-quarter performance.

The Warriors, playing at home, seized control of the game early, exploding for 45 points in the opening quarter while holding the Beavers to 20. That 25-point cushion proved insurmountable for Pratt, which outscored Indian Hills 43-33 in the second quarter but could never close the gap to a single-digit deficit.

Indian Hills was led by a remarkably efficient performance from Chiang Ring, who scored a game-high 18 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in just 13 minutes of play. Taj Au-Duke facilitated the offense with 14 points and 5 assists, while KJ LaMonte added 12 points and 4 assists. Vladyslav Semerych provided a significant spark off the bench, contributing 11 points and 7 rebounds.

For Pratt, which begins the season 0-1, Ajieth “AJ” Akot posted a strong all-around line with 10 points, 9 rebounds and 2 blocks in 30 minutes. Hunter Vaughn led the Beavers in scoring with 13 points and dished out 5 assists.

The game was ultimately decided by ball security and offensive efficiency. Pratt committed a crippling 25 turnovers, which the Warriors converted into numerous easy scoring opportunities. Indian Hills, by contrast, gave the ball away only 10 times. The Warriors also operated more effectively on offense, scoring 78 points on 73 possessions for an offensive rating of 107.0, while the Beavers managed 63 points on 78 possessions for a rating of 80.9.

From the field, Indian Hills shot 26 for 62, compared to Pratt’s 20 for 50. Both teams struggled from beyond the arc, with the Warriors making 7 of 26 attempts and the Beavers connecting on just 5 of 20. The teams were nearly identical at the free-throw line, with Indian Hills making 19 of 25 and Pratt making 18 of 25.

The victory, which aligned with a 64 percent pregame win probability from Interstat’s ELO system, moves Indian Hills to a 1-0 record to start the season. The Warriors are scheduled to host Cloud County on Saturday. Pratt will look for its first win when it travels to face New Mexico on Nov. 9.