The Greene County Rams lost both games on the hardwood when they hosted the PCM Mustangs for Heart of Iowa play. Final scores were 59-46 in the girls game and 72-62 in the boys game.
The girls showed good poise in their defense but couldn’t contain PCM sophomore Regan Freland. Freland came into the game averaging 20 points. She scored 29 points against the Rams.
The Rams trailed the entire game, being on the short side of an 18-11 score after one quarter, a 35-26 score at halftime, and a 42-35 score after three quarters. But, until late in the fourth quarter the Mustangs’ lead was never greater than 11 points. Early in the second half the lead was only six points.
Free throws kept the Rams in the game. Senior Laurin Lyons managed to draw many fouls and made it to the free throw line 18 times. She made 14 of the shots for 78 percent from the line. Lyons added a pair of baskets for 18 points total for the game.
The feisty sophomore Bailey Cunningham scored 10 points, seniors Onica Delp and Samantha Hardaway scored six and four points respectively, and seniors Ashley Millard and Regan Lamoureux, and sophomores Kassie Lamoureux and Izzy Bravard added two points each.
PCM made four 3-point shots in the game; the Rams made none.
The loss puts the Ram girls at 3-2 overall and 1-2 in the Heart of Iowa. The PCM Mustangs are 3-3 overall and 2-1 in the conference.
The boys in the first quarter played the fast-paced game fans have come to enjoy, sinking 67 percent of their shots and holding a 23-14 lead at the end of the quarter. The 23 points included three 3-point shots and making four of four free throws.
The first quarter proved to be the high point for the Rams. They shot at 29 percent as the Mustangs improved their shooting, and the Rams’ lead was five points 34-29 at intermission.
The Rams held on to their five point advantage for the first two minutes of the third quarter, but with the score 41-36 the Mustangs began a 17-point run that lasted into the fourth quarter. The score was 55-41 in favor of the Mustangs before Lance Hughes finally made a two-point basket. The Rams were still down by 14 points, 65-51, with 2:15 left to play. Wade Adcock got the deficit to nine points with a pair of free throws and a deuce, but the momentum of the game didn’t change. The Rams were the last to score, a 3-pointer by Carter Morton with only seconds to play.
The Mustangs’ points seem to come easily during their 17-point run. The Ram offense had gone cold, both inside and outside the key. The Rams were putting up shots but the ball wasn’t going through the basket. With a foundering offense the defense also foundered.
For the game, the Mustangs made 11 of 21 3-point shots and made 25 of 40 two-point shots. The Rams attempted 20 long baskets but only six were good, and they made 24 of 63 two-point shots. The only statistic in which the Rams bettered the Mustangs was turnovers; unofficially the Rams committed nine turnovers and the Mustangs committed 16.
Adcock led the Rams in scoring with 20 points, followed by Hughes with 15 points and Joe Towers with 11. Trey Hinote had six points, Ben Bravard had five, Morton had three and Jordan Patterson had two. Ben Wilkins was the only other team member to get into the game, and his appearance was brief.
The Ram boys are now 2-1 overall and in the HOIAC. The PCM Mustangs are 4-0 overall and 3-0 in the HOIAC.
The Rams host the Roland-Story Norsemen next Tuesday, Dec. 12.
