The Greene County boys basketball team struggled to score against Heart of Iowa Activities opponents in their last two games. The Rams lost to the South Hamilton Hawks 71-27 at home Dec. 6, and the lost to the Gilbert Tigers 95-46 in Gilbert Dec. 10.
Against the Hawks, the Rams started slow and didn’t pick up the pace. They were behind 21-9 at the end of the first quarter and the Hawks nearly doubled them by intermission for a halftime score of 38-19. The game went from bad to worse in the second half; the Rams scored only five points in the third quarter and four in the fourth quarter.
The Rams took fewer shots than the Hawks, putting the ball up only 41 times while the Hawks took 65 shots. Add to that the shooting percentages – the Rams at 24 percent inside the arc and the Hawks at 48 percent – and it comes up a loss for the Rams. Even from the free throw line, the Rams shot at only 43.7 percent.
Carter Morton led the Rams in scoring with 11 points and six rebounds. Bryce Stalder, Peyton Kinsey and Caden Lowmiller scored four points each, Nick Breon scored two points and Cael Fisher and Jackson Morton scored one each.
The Rams’ shooting was better against Gilbert but still not enough for a win.
The Rams took only 44 shots from the floor and made 31.8 percent of them – three from 3-point range and 11 from inside the arc. Free throw shooting was what it should be in boys hoops. Against Gilbert the Rams made it to the line 19 times and made good on 15 shots for 79 percent. Against South Hamilton the Rams went to the line 16 times but made only seven baskets for 43.7 percent shooting.
The Rams were dow33n 28-14 after one quarter and 60-25 at halftime. That set the clock running continuously for the entire second half. The Rams scored eight points to the Tigers’ 22 points in the third quarter for an 82- 33 score. With Gilbert reserves playing the fourth quarter the Rams were able to match them point for point at 13 each.
Carter Morton again led the Rams in scoring with 13 points. Fisher and Lowmiller scored 10 points each. Max Riley scored four points, Jaxon Warnke scored three, and Stalder and Zach Goff added two each. Breon led in rebounds with seven, six of them defensive.
The Rams will work to find a winning groove when they travel to Polk City to play North Polk Friday. North Polk has an 0-3 start to the season, including a 83-51 loss to Gilbert. The lost their most recent game by four points, falling 50-46 to PCM at Prairie City on Tuesday.
