The Greene County Rams lost two games to the non-conference Boone Toreadors in Thursday night basketball at the middle school gymnasium in Jefferson.
The two games were very different, with the girls losing to the #6-rated Class 4A team 67-23. It was the second consecutive game that pitted the Rams against 4A rated teams.
The Rams struggled from the start and were down 18-4 after one quarter. The second quarter was their best, scoring 10 points as the Toreadors scored 22. The Rams put up just two points in the third for a 52-16 score.
Senior Kenna Marquart scored seven points. Senior Hannah Promes, junior Samantha Hardaway and freshman Bailey Cunningham scored four points each, junior Laurin Lyons scored three and junior Onica Delp added one. Lyons led in rebounds with seven and Delp had four.
The Rams had 18 turnovers and made nine of 37 from the floor for 25 percent shooting while the Toreadors committed nine turnovers and shot at 60 percent from the floor and 78 percent from the free throw line.
The girls are now 3-7 overall and 2-5 in the Heart of Iowa Activities Conference. They play the Jayettes in Perry Jan. 3.
The boys game was as exciting as high school basketball gets, going down to the final buzzer. After 32 minutes of battling, the Toreadors had a 62-60 advantage over the Rams for the win.
The teams traded the lead until midway through the third quarter when Boone claimed a 39-37 lead. The Rams played catch-up from then. Throughout the game the point margin was never more than five.
With just 13 seconds to play it was a one-point game with the Toreadors up 61-60. The Rams fouled senior Gab Krafcisin with 12 seconds to play. Krafscisin made the first shot but missed the second to make the score 62-60. The Rams had no time-outs left and were working for a last second shot when they nearly turned the ball over. The last shot was a lob from about 30 feet; it was close but didn’t go through the hoop.
Ram senior Trey Tucker scored 29 points with six 3-point shots. Sophomore Trey Hinote scored 15 points, including three long buckets. Junior Wade Adcock scored 8 points and Senior Tommy Jacobsen and sophomore Lance Hughes had four points each.
Tucker led in rebound with nine and Hinote had eight.
The Rams made 12 of 31 shots from 2-point range (39 percent) and nine of 20 3-point shots (45 percent) for 41 percent shooting. They made nine of 11 free throws; one of the misses was in the last 20 seconds of play. The Rams committed just one turnover in the first half but five in the third quarter and in the fourth.
The Toreadors made 20 of 47 shots from the floor for 43 percent. They had a height advantage and fared better on 2-point shots, making 16 of 28 (58 percent) compared to the Rams’ 38 percent from 2-point range.
In a tight game, everything matters. Boone had 33 rebounds to the Rams’ 27; Boone was whistled for 13 fouls while the Rams were whistled for 17.
The Rams are now 6-3 overall and 5-1 in the HOIAC. They return to conference play Jan. 6 at home against Gilbert.
