OTTUMWA — Early in every season teams face their first real test. The teams that aren’t ready pay the price, but the teams that have done the necessary work get their season off to a good start.

The Indian Hills Warriors passed their first test of the young season with flying colors Friday night at the Hellyer Center. The Warriors downed Lee College of Texas, 83-59, in the first round of the Jack Blackwell Classic.

To be sure, this wasn’t the nation’s number No. 2 (Chipola) that handed the Warriors a one-point loss last year, but this was an athletic team that earlier in the week lost to this year’s No. 2, Iowa Western, by only four.

The visitors led in the early stages. Antone Byrd’s basket and two free throws by Josh Micheaux gave the Rebels a 4-0 lead. Dijon Farr scored to cut the lead in half and after a free throw by Bruno Ferreira, Farr’s 3-pointer tied it at six.

Aaron Austin would get his big half started with two free throws to put the Warriors up, 8-6. Austin would have 15 first half points and 19 for the game to lead the Warriors. A Byrd 3 put the visitors up 9-8, but that would trigger a 9-0 Warrior run. Chano Rashiduddin with four and Austin with five did all the scoring over the three minute period.

Lee came back with eight straight to pull within one at 17-16. Austin stopped the run with a basket and kept the Warriors up by three.

A basket by the visitors’ Cedric Martin gave the Rebels their last lead at 22-21. A dunk by Brandon Garrett and two baskets by Farr put the Warriors back up 28-22 with just under nine minutes to go in the half.

Dwan McMillan, seeing his first action of the season, came off the bench and the tempo seemed to pick up a notch. In a six-minute period he had three points and three assists. His play helped the Warriors build a 42-31 lead with just over a minute to play in the half.

“I like to play fast all the time. Tonight coach wanted me to push the tempo,” said McMillan.

Austin kept the Warrior lead at 11 near the half’s end with his third and fourth free throws.

Kidder talked about the use of 11 Warriors in the game’s first 20 minutes. “We have 10-12 guys ready to go. We don’t feel like we drop off with substitutions.”

When you are down 11 at the break, it is never wise to give up three straight baskets to start the second half. The 44-33 Warrior lead was 50-33 just two minutes into the final stanza. The Warrior big men built the lead that would never be challanged. Feirrera scored on a feed from Garrett, and Garrett scored back to back baskets, one on a pretty feed from Farr.

The Warrior quickness was too much for the visitors to handle on both ends of the floor.

“We recruit athletes that can put it on the floor and make plays,” said Kidder. “I think that our defensive rotation was really good for nearly the entire game.”

The Rebels had to feel like they were treading water. Three minutes later the lead was still 17 after an Austin score on the break and a Garrett Dunk. It didn’t take long for the lead to grow to 24 at 62-38.