Bulldogs overwhelm North Butler girls

HAMPTON – It’s been a struggle in the early going for North Butler’s girls’ basketball team.

And, the Bulldogs, coming off their first loss of the season, were a determined group in a game that was less than pretty as the home team emerged with a 55-29 non-conference victory on Thursday, Dec. 10.

Lauren Meader scored a game-high 21 points and Avery Hanson added 18 as coach Miranda Valley’s squad improved to 2-1 overall.

“I thought that it is hard in these games to keep the intensity and energy,” Valley said. “It’s something we talked about after the game, find a way to want to beat a team by 40 even though you are up 20, to have that killer instinct-type thing. Keep going. They came out and got the win, it’s good to get back in the win column.”

Sydney Eiklenborg led the Bearcats with nine points despite foul trouble, although she avoided fouling out for the first time in three games.

“I feel a ton better after this game,” North Butler coach Carrie Eiklenborg said. “Our effort was better, our decision-making was better, we were just more ready to play this game. We talked about that a lot. North Butler is in a hybrid (learning situation), so half of our girls don’t have school on game days and we were struggling with that, and we kind of figured out that kids can’t sleep all day, ‘I’ve got to get up and do something.’ We’ve got that figured out.”

Besides Meader hitting a lay-up and a three to start the second half, both teams combined to miss seven shots and turn the ball over three times. Nevertheless, the Bulldogs led 41-21 heading to the fourth quarter.

“It’s a non-conference game, those are hard to get up for, it’s a Thursday, all off-schedule, one of those awkward nights,” Valley said. “I was proud of the way they responded after I called a timeout, came out and scored points and were where they needed to be. It’s good to see them respond.”

Meader said that the chemistry is good, but the Bulldogs are still trying to figure things out.

“We are getting along well. We have a lot of new members of the team this year, underclassmen. We’re trying to get in sync with each right now.

“Practices have been really tough after (IF-A) and we realize that we’re not the same team as last year and we’ve got to work harder.”

Madison Clipperton led North Butler with 14 rebounds and five assists and coach Eiklenborg really liked the defensive effort of Kenzie Groen.

:I really feel that (Meader) was their best shooter and we put Kenzie Groen on her in the second half and she did a great job, fantastic job,” coach Eiklenborg said. “Madie Clipperton always does a good job, same thing she always does, Sydney stepped up and made shots for us and always there helping on defense, needs to watch her fouls a little bit, but she’s the one who is always helping, working on getting her straight up because she also likes to block shots, or tries to.

“We’re trying to find the positive and setting little goals and just keep working at it.”

Bulldogs 55, North Butler 29

North Butler (1-3, 1-2)– Haley Freesmann 2-8 1-2 6, Meg Thompson 0-5 2-2 2, Madison Clipperton 1-8 0-0 2, Sydney Eiklenborg 4-9 1-2 9, Brooklyn Wix 1-8 0-0 2, Carly Adelmund 1-3 0-0 2, Brooke Niemann 0-0 0-0 0, Kenzie Groen 2-6 0-0 4, Haylee Niemann 1-2 0-0 2, Alexis Brinkman 0-0 0-0 0, Elizabeth Mathers 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 12-49 4-6 29.

Bulldogs (2-1, 0-1)– Teaghan Bird 0-2 0-0 0, Alana Johnson 2-8 1-2 6, Lauren Meader 9-19 0-0 21, Avery Hanson 5-13 7-9 18, Gina Schmit 2-10 0-0 4, Emily Gage 0-1 0-0 0, Colleen Pals 0-0 0-0 0, Trinity Swart 0-0 0-0 0, Kacey Springer 1-2 0-0 2, Faith Grover 2-5 0-0 4,. Totals 21-60 8-11 55.

N. Butler      4     9     8     8      -   29

Bulldogs    12   15   14   14      -   55

Three-point goals– NB 1-11 (Freesemann 1-3, Thompson 0-1, Wix 0-1, Groen 0-1, Clipperton 0-4); H-D 5-21 (Meader 3-6, Johnson 1-3, Hanson 2, Gage 0-1, Grover 0-3, Schmit 0-4). Rebounds– NB 34 (Clipperton 14, Wix 7, Thompson 4, Freesemann 2, Adelmund 2, Groen 2, Niemann 2); H-D 32 (Hanson 9, Meader 8, Grover 5, Schmit 4, Johnson 3, Springer 2, Gage). Assists– NB 9 (Clipperton 5, Freesemann, Thompson, Groen, Niemann); H-D 13 (Schmit 5, Hanson 4, Johnson, Meader, Springer, Grover). Steals– NB 1 (Freesemann); H-D 14 (Meader 4, Hanson 4, Johnson 2, Schmit, Bird, Springer, Grover). Blocks – NB 4 (Wix 2, Clipperton, Eiklenborg); H-D 2 (Hanson, Grover). Total fouls – NB 9, H-D 9. Fouled out – None.