The Greene County Ram basketball teams returned from Gilbert Friday night with a pair of losses. Final scores were 54-24 for the girls and 79-75 for the boys.
The girls were ahead 4-3 after four minutes of play, but their shooting went cold. While the Tigers put up 22 points the host Rams mustered only one. The score was 25-7 at halftime. The Rams made only one of 24 shots in the first half, with five points coming from the free throw line.
For the game, the Rams made five field goals and 13 points from the free throw line. Laurin Lyons once again led the team in scoring, but she only had six points.
With the loss the Ram girls are 2-8 in the Heart of Iowa Activities Conference and 5-10 overall. The Tigers are even-up at 5-5 in the conference and 8-8 overall.
In the boys game, a sluggish Ram defense gave the Tigers too many uncontested shots in a 3-point extravaganza. The Tigers made 12 of 30 shots from 3-point range ((40 percent) and the Rams made 11 of 21 (53 percent) of the long buckets. Of the 154 points total in the game, 69 came as 3-point baskets.
The Tigers held a four-point lead after one quarter, 23-19, but the Rams scrambled and took a one point lead, 38-37, into the locker room at halftime.
The Rams were up 40-39 early in the third quarter when the Tigers put up 11 unanswered points, with nine of them off 3-point baskets. Trey Hinote broke the run with a 3-point shot with 3:49 to play in the quarter. The score then was 50-40. The third quarter ended with the Tigers up 59-51.
The Rams scored 24 points to the Tigers’ 20 in the fourth quarter, not enough to fill the deficit. The Rams were within five points, 68-63, with four minutes to play, but they got no closer. The Tigers put up one last 3-point shot with 3:25 to play (71-63) and scored their last eight points from the free throw line.
The Rams didn’t make it to the free throw line the entire second half. The Rams shot free throws at 80 percent in the first half, making 12 of 15. The Tigers shot at 50 percent from the line, making 13 of 26.
Hinote made only six points in the first half, but finished the game with 22 points. Joe Towers and Lance Hughes made 18 points each. Carter Morton scored six points, Jordan Patterson scored four, and Ben Bravard added two points. Wade Adcock, who averages 16 points per game, did not make a basket from the floor until only 3:25 was left in the game. He made three first half free throws and finished the game with five points. He led the team in rebounds with five.
The boys’ loss is their third in the conference, putting them at 7-3 in the conference and 8-5 overall. Gilbert is now 5-5 in the HOIAC and 6-7 overall.
The Rams travel to Winterset Monday for non-conference games rescheduled from last Monday.
