Warhawk girls’ basketball overwhelms Northwood-Kensett

SHEFFIELD – A 15-0 start for West Fork’s girls’ basketball team was all the Warhawks needed on the way to a 48-22 win over Northwood-Kensett on Tuesday, Dec. 8.

In fact, the Vikings didn’t get their first points until a pair of free throws with four minutes, 30 seconds left until halftime and their first basket didn’t fall until 1:39 left in the second quarter.

“I didn’t realize they hadn’t scored (in the first quarter) until one of my assistants said something to me,” West Fork coach Rodney Huber said. “Yeah, we came out hot against Rockford the other night, too, and with our pressure I think it shocks teams a little bit.

“With a 15-0 start, you can’t ask for anything more right there.”

During the first half, sophomore Emma Martinek scored all 15 of her game-high points, going 7-of-14 from the field, including 1-of-4 from beyond the three-point line.

West Fork’s full-court pressure got to N-K, coming up with 17 steals and forcing 40 turnovers as it improved to 2-0, 2-0 in the Top of Iowa East.

If Huber wanted to be nitpicky, he’d look to the third quarter in which the Vikings outscored his Warhawks 10-5.

“I talked to the girls about that and we are still trying to get our conditioning the way we want with our constant pressing,” Huber said. “The girls want to get in better shape and also we talked and said it’s hard when you’ve expended that much energy to have a break to come back and have a little bit of a funk. We talked about how we have to get ourselves going in the second half.

“They responded once things got going again in the second half.”

What helps, however, is the fact the Warhawks have such a deep bench, going about nine deep in their rotation. By the end of the game, all 14 had seen floor time.

“We definitely wouldn’t be able to play the way we are (without a deep bench),” Huber said. “There isn’t much of a drop-off from 7-8-9. I feel comfortable with them and they take care of the ball.”

West Fork 48, Northwood-Kensett 22

Northwood-Kensett (0-3, 0-3)– Ruthie Conlin 1-5 0-0 2, Carly Hengesteg 2-6 1-1 5, Olivia Stilley 1-7 0-2 2, Emma Davidson 1-6 3-6 6, Madalynn Hanson 3-6 -0 7, Briar Anderson 0-2 0-0 0, Hayley Wallin 0-1 0-0 0, Peyton Shoger 0-0 0-0 0, Addy Bachtle 0-1 0-0 0, Ella Leonard 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 8-38 4-9 22.

West Fork (2-0, 2-0)– Makenzie Fessler 1-11 0-2 2, Maddie Hubka 2-4 0-0 6, Ellie Weaver 3-13 2-3 8, Madisyn Bonner 2-3 0-4 4, Emma Martinek 7-14 0-0 15, Mycah Weaver 0-2 0-0 0, Mallery Meier 0-0 0-0 0, Rylie Akins 4-7 0-1 8, Keelee Sheriff 1-7 1-2 3, RaeLynn Nash 0-0 0-0 0, Sadie Latham 0-0 0-0 0, Breea Weaver 0-0 0-0 0, Kacie Fessler 0-0 0-0 0, Breckyn Dickman 1-2 0-2 2. Totals 21-63 3-14 48.

N-K               0     7   12     3      -   22

W. Fork      13   10     8   11      -   46

Three-point goals– N-K 2-9 (Hanson 1-2, Davidson 1-4, Hengesteg 0-1, Leonard 0-2); WF 3-12 (Hubka 2-2, Martinek 1-4, Akins 0-1, Fessler 0-2, E. Weaver 0-3). Rebounds– N-K 46 (Stilley 7, Hanson 7, Conlin 5, Bachtle 5, Hengesteg 4, Davidson 4, Shoger 3, Leonard 3, Anderson 2, Wallin); WF 30 (Hubka 5, Bonner 5, Dickman 4, Fessler 3, E. Weaver 3, Martinek 3, Sheriff 3, Akins 2, Nash 2). Assists– N-K 3 (Hengesteg, Hanson, Bachtle); WF 9 (Hubka 2, M. Weaver 2, Bonner, Martinek, Akins, Sheriff, Nash). Steals– N-K 4 (Hanson, Anderson, Wallin, Leonard); WF 17 (E. Weaver 4, Akins 4, Fessler 3, Martinek 3, Bonner, Nash, Dickman). Blocks – N-K 5 (Leonard 2, Hengesteg, Stilley, Wallin); WF, None. Total fouls – N-K 9, WF 9. Fouled out – None.