Quick start leads AGWSR to NICL win

ACKLEY –Yet another quick start carried the AGWSR girls’ basketball team to a 49-29 victory over South Hardin here Monday during North Iowa Cedar League West play.

The Cougars scored the contest’s first nine points and never looked back. The host team built leads of 17-3 after eight minutes, 24-3 at the mid-way mark of the second quarter and 28-7 at halftime.

The twosome of Alyssa Hames and Rachel Sicard nearly matched the Tigers’ output, combining for 27 points with 14 for Hames and Sicard 13. The pair sparked the first half romp with a dozen points for Hames and nine for Sicard.

Like Monday, AGWSR turned the previous four meetings with South Hardin one-sided early with first quarter leads of 10-0, 18-1, 31-5 and 18-2.

The Tigers showed fight in the third quarter despite being down big. South Hardin outscored the hosts 15-10 as Meghan VandePol, Josie Raska and Maddie Maifeld all sank three-point goals. The Cougars halted the visitor’s rally with a 10-3 start to the fourth.

“Our goal tonight was to get a lot of players in the game and work on our bench play. Down the road we are going to need them,” said AGWSR coach Laurie Gann.

VandePol led the SH scoring at 12 points with eight for Raska as both made two triples. Morgan Havens was credited with seven rebounds and seven blocked shots.

“Our girls were a little taken back when Cora went down. She brings great energy and is our sparkplug,” said South Hardin coach Matt Thompson. Frohwein hit the court hard in a scramble for the basketball and left the game for the night.

“At halftime we told the girls they need to read and react in the second half and they did a better job of that. Be ready when the ball comes to you.”

AGWSR pulled down 47 rebounds with nine for Grace Finger, Sicard eight and Whitanie Nederhoff seven. Finger added five steals and Sicard four along with five blocks. Sicard was recognized before the game for reaching the career 500-rebound plateau last week.

“It is a great milestone for Rachel,” said Gann. “We can count on her to be in there and battling on the boards,” 

The Cougars climbed to 13-5 overall and 7-3 in the league with the win. AGWSR beat SH, 40-19 in the first meeting in December.

The loss was a 25th consecutive in conference play for the Tigers, tumbling to 0-11 in the league and 3-15 overall.

            Scoring by Quarters:

S.Hard3          4          15         7          -29

AGWSR12         16         10         11         -49

            South Hardin scoring – Meghan VandePol 12, Josie Raska 8, Emma Spieker 5, Maddie Maifeld 3, Kassidy Winter 1. Three-point goals: VandePol 2, Raska 2, Maifeld 1. 

            AGWSR scoring – Alyssa Hames 14, Rachel Sicard 13, Makenna Kuper 7, Morgan Bakker 4, Grace Finger 4, Whitanie Nederhoff 4, Natalie Lippert 2, Shaylee Hofmeister 1. Three-point goals: Hames 1.