The Greene County varsity basketball teams both lost Heart of Iowa games to the Nevada Cubs in Jefferson Thursday evening.
The girls lost to the 2015 Class 3A champions and Number 1 rated Nevada Cubs by a 67-15 score.
The Cubs had the height advantage, better ball handling, and senior all-state player Katie Kassebaum to their credit. Kassebaum scored 28 of the Cubs’ points, all of them in the first three quarters.
The Rams didn’t score until Laurin Lyons made a pair of free throws with 6:42 to play in the second quarter. After those free throws the score was 2-16. Kenna Marquardt made the Rams’ first field goal with 4:38 to play in the second quarter. The score was 7-27 at halftime, with Nicole Rohner contributing three points via free throws.
The Rams scored just three points in the third quarter on a Rohner field goal and a free throw by Sunny Mobley. Reserves were playing in the fourth quarter, and Samantha Hardaway scored her first varsity points with a 2-pointer. Regan Lamoureux made a 3-point shot at the end of the game to complete the Rams’ 15 points.
Turnovers were telling. The Rams had 28 for the game and the Cubs had just three. The Rams shot at 22 percent from the floor but 75 percent at the charity line. The Cubs shot at 56 percent from the floor but only 37.5 percent at the line.
The Rams are 2-3 overall and 2-2 in the Heart of Iowa Activities Conference. The Nevada Cubs are 5-1 overall and 5-0 in the HOIAC.
The boys lost 64-47 in a game that was dominated by the Cubs early and late, but was very respectable play by the Rams in the middle.
The Rams had difficulty hanging on to the ball in the first quarter, committing six turnovers, and they scored just nine points. The Cubs had a 10 point lead, 19-9 at the end of the quarter. The Rams were down 21-12 when, with about five minutes to play in the half, they began shortening the Cubs’ lead, and the score was tied at 23 at halftime.
The Rams were ahead 39-34 with 2:51 to play in the third quarter, but the Cubs scored the next 13 points and the Rams trailed 47-39 before they scored again. The Rams could get no closer than four points , 49-45, and in the last four minutes of play they scored only two points. The final score was 64-47 for the Cubs.
Nevada came into the game averaging just 49 points, while the Rams were averaging 70 points per game.
The Treys, junior Trey Tucker and freshman Trey Hinote, were both held below their averages in scoring. Tucker came into the game averaging 22 points and scored just eight points, a 3-pointer to start the Rams’ scoring, two 2-point shots, and three of four free throws. He fouled out with 3:25 to play in the game. Hinote brought a 13 point average and also scored eight points, with two 3-point shots and two of two at the line. He also fouled out of the game. Two other Rams, Wade Adcock and Tyler Beger, fouled out as well.
Reid Lamoureux led the Rams in scoring with 14 points. Max Neese scored eight, Mitchell Gorsuch scored six, and Beger scored three.
The Rams were eight of 18 on 3-point shots and eight of 19 from 2-point range for 34 percent. The Cubs were four of 16 on 3-pointers and 17 of 37 from 2-point range for 40 percent shooting. The Rams turned the ball over 19 times and the Cubs turned it over 14 times, with 10 of them in the second half while the reserves were playing.
Nevada’s Cole Goodell was close to his scoring average with 21 points, and Matt Chitty was well above his average of 2.3 points, scoring 20 points against the Rams.
The Rams are now 1-2 in the Heart of Iowa Activities Conference and 1-3 overall. Nevada is 3-1 in the HOIAC and overall.
The Rams don’t play Friday, but travel to Gilbert next Tuesday, Dec. 15.
