The Rams split varsity basketball games with Roland-Story in Jefferson Tuesday night. The girls snapped a six game losing streak with a 58-41 win, while the boys extended their losing streak to seven with a 70-57 loss.
The Rams scored just 10 points in the first quarter and were behind 16-10 at the buzzer. The second quarter belonged to the Rams, though, as they scored 13 points while holding the Norsemen to only six. The Rams were up 23-22 at the half.
They continued to dominate, stretching their lead to nine points, 41-32, after three quarters. The Ram defense kept the Norsemen away from the basket, forcing them to shoot 3-point baskets, which didn’t fall well for them. They were seven of 31 from 3-point range (23 percent)
The Rams’ won the game by the numbers. They made 17 of 32 2-point shots (53 percent) and three of 15 3-point shots, putting them at 30 of 47 (43 percent) shooting. The Norsemen put up fewer shot attempts, going nine of 20 in 2-point shots, putting them at 31 percent in shooting.
Free throws and turnovers were the most telling. The Rams have in past games had nine turnovers in a quarter. Against Roland-Story they had nine for the entire game, while the Norsemen had 16. The Rams shot 68 percent from the free throw line and the Norsemen shot 67 percent, but the Rams were at the line 22 times; the Norsemen were there only three times.
It was the last game in the middle school gym for the Ram seniors, who have comprised the team most of the season. Sophomore Kenna Marquardt is the only underclassman to see much playing time. In their last Ram home game, every senior scored. Kayla Mobley scored 27 points, Stacy Mears scored 14, Tressa Rasmussen scored five, Jolee Wessling scored four, Hannah Onken scored two and Marissa Promes scored one. Marquardt added three points. Mears scored all of the Rams’ long baskets.
The Ram girls finished the regular season at 8-10 in the Heart of Iowa and 8-13 overall. They start tournament play against West Central Valley in Stuart Saturday evening.
In the boys game, the Norsemen successfully shut down Trey Tucker, the leading scorer in Iowa 3A, double teaming him at most times and using a zone defense against the rest of the Rams. Tucker came into the game averaging 25.3 points; he scored only nine against the Norsemen and fouled out with just more than a minute left in the game.
Senior Landon Braun filled in part of the scoring gap, doubling his season average of 8.5 points with his 17 against R-S. Braun made five 3-point shots, four of them in the third quarter. Sophomore Reid Lamoureux made 11 points, including two 3-point baskets in the fourth quarter.
Freshman Wade Adcock gave Ram fans a peak at what they may see next season. Tuesday’s game was the first in which Adcock has had much playing time, and he scored eight points, two in each quarter.
Tyler Beger scored seven points with one 3-pointer, senior Riah Nelsen scored three points and Max Neese scored two points.
The Norsemen took an early lead and were ahead 22-12 after one quarter. Tucker was held scoreless in that quarter. Both teams continued their scoring pace in the second quarter, and the score at halftime was 42-24. Fouls were critical for the Rams, particularly in the first half. R-S made it to the line 11 times and made 10 free throws, while the Rams were only one of two at the line. The Norsemen had the height advantage in the game, and had many more offensive rebounds than the Rams.
The third quarter was the Rams’ best quarter of the game. With the score at 48-30 they scored 11 unanswered points to come within seven, 48-41, with 1:07 left to play in the quarter. The Norsemen led 51-43 at the end of the quarter. A win was perhaps still within reach with a 59-50 score midway through the fourth quarter, but R-S made six free throws, a 3-point shot and a 2-point shot while the Rams mustered only two 2-point baskets and a Lamoureux 3-pointer. Braun did not score in the fourth quarter.
For the game, both teams shot at 38 percent from the floor. Roland-Story was 17 of 20 at the charity line and the Rams were six of 12.
The Rams have one more HOIAC game, a road game Friday against PCM in Monroe. The Rams are 6-11 in the conference and 6-13 overall. PCM is 15-4 overall. PCM won the teams’ first meeting Jan. 13 in Jefferson, 65-47.
