The Greene County Ram teams both continued their frustrating seasons with losses to the North Polk Comets in Jefferson Friday. The girls saw a one point lead at halftime evaporate in a 43-26 loss. The boys had a one point lead after the first quarter but were down by 12 points at halftime and lost by 16 points, 62-46.
Both teams started slowly in the girls’ game, with the Comets up 6-3 after the first quarter of play. All the Rams’ points in that quarter were scored by Laurin Lyons with a two point basket and a free throw. The Ram defense was working better than in recent games and rebounding was more aggressive also.
The Rams put up 13 points in the second quarter as the Comets scored nine, giving the Rams a 16-15 lead at the break.
The second half began well enough for the Rams, but midway through the third quarter, at a 21 tie, the tide turned. The Comets scored seven unanswered points before the Rams scored again in the last minute of the quarter. The third quarter ended with the Comets up 30-23.
The game continued to deteriorate from the Ram point of view. The Rams’ only score in the third quarter was a 3-pointer by senior Cassidy Adamson, her first varsity points. The Comets scored 13 points and the final score was 43-26.
For the game, Sunny Mobley scored six points, Lyons and Taylor Wessling scored five each, Nicole Rohner and Adamson scored three each, and Kenna Marquardt and Brooke Hayes scored two each. Marquardt and Hayes both scored all their points at the charity line. The points were seniors Hayes’ first varsity points.
The Rams are now 2-5 overall and 2-4 in the Heart of Iowa Activities Conference. The Comets extended a four-game winning streak to five after losing their first three games. They’re 5-3 overall and 5-2 in the HOIAC.
For Ram fans, a highlight of the evening was a presentation between games of a plaque to retired math teacher Roger Olhausen. Olhausen was thanked for serving as an official scorer for Jefferson, Jefferson-Scranton and finally Greene County basketball for 44 years.
Both teams played fast-paced basketball in the first quarter of the boys’ game. The score was tied at 2, 4, 6, 9, and 14. The Rams were behind 18-14 but scored the last five points to take a 19-18 lead.
The Rams scored early in the quarter on a pair of Trey Hinote free throws, but their shooting went as cold as the weather outdoors. The Rams made only one of 14 shots from the floor, that one basket being a deuce by Max Neese with 1:04 to play in the quarter. Hinote made four of four shots from the free throw line. He and Neese combined for the team’s six points for the quarter.
As the Rams struggled, NP kept sinking baskets. The made three 3-point shots, three 2-point shots and four free throws for 19 points and a 37-25 lead at the half.
The Rams’ shooting was only a little better in the third quarter, making four of 13 shots and going two of four at the free throw line. Two of the successful shots were 3-pointers, including Max Neese’s first, and the Rams scored 12 points for the quarter to the Comets’ 14. The Comets held a 14 point lead, 51-37, at the end of the third quarter.
The Rams mustered nine points in the fourth quarter – a 3-pointer and three deuces. The Rams did not get to the foul line during the final quarter. NP added 11 points for the final margin of 16 points.
The Rams’ ball handling was better than in their Tuesday night game against Gilbert. In that game the Rams committed 20 turnovers. They held turnovers to only six against North Polk, while the Comets committed 13.
Taking better care of the ball didn’t make the difference in the game, though. Unofficially, the Rams shot at 30 percent from the floor; their season average is 39.6 percent. They were 72 percent at free throws, a bit ahead of their 70.3 percent average. North Polk was 48 percent shooting from the floor, ahead of their 45.2 percent average, and well ahead of their average in free throws. Their season average, according to QuikStats, is 53.6 percent; they shot at 80 percent in Jefferson Friday night. Two of the free throws came after a fourth quarter technical foul against Ram head coach Jeramie Hinote.
For the game, Trey Tucker scored 17, Neese scored 13, Hinote scored 10, Reid Lamoureux had four and Wade Adcock had two points. North Polk senior Brett Haun lead all scorers with 27 points, followed by senior Grant Rampton with 18 points.
The loss was the fourth in a row for the boys, who have faced distractions over disciplinary actions in recent weeks. They are 1-5 overall and 1-4 in the HOIAC. North Polk is 5-2 overall and 5-1 in the HOIAC.
The Rams still have a pair of non-conference games before the Christmas break. They play in Winterset Monday and in Boone Tuesday.
