Aside from the venue, Ram fans had a feeling of déjà vu when they played the North Polk Comets Jan 26. The first time the teams met it was a “home” game for the Rams in Wells Fargo Arena. The girls lost by 39 points and the boys won by 18 points.
Their second meeting was in the Comets’ home gym in Alleman. The girls lost by 36 points and the boys won by 21 points.
In the girls game, the Rams were scoreless until Izzy Bravard made a basket more than five minutes into the quarter. The two points were the Rams’ only points for the quarter, while the Comets put up 17. The game didn’t get easier. The score at halftime was 39-5.
The Comets scored two more points in the first minute of the third quarter to give them a 35-point margin and go to a continuous clock. The Comets slowed their pace a bit, putting up only nine points for the third quarter as the Rams put up 10. The score was 48-15 when the quarter ended.
Ram top-scorer Laurin Lyons didn’t score until the fourth quarter. She scored a field goal and made one of two free throws for three points. Onica Delp made a free throw, but those were the Rams’ only points. The final score was 55-19.
Bravard led the team in scoring with eight points. Lyons and Delp had three points, Samantha Hardaway and Bailey Cunningham had two points each and Kassie Lamoureux had one point.
The 13th-rated Comets are 14-3 overall and 10-2 in the Heart of Iowa Activities Conference. The Rams are 5-12 overall and 2-10 in the conference.
Joe Towers was the top scorer in the boys rematch, just as he was in the first game. He led the Rams in scoring with 19 points, and right behind him was Trey Hinote with 18 points.
The Rams and the Comets played closely for the first quarter. The lead changed seven times in the quarter, and ended with the Rams up 20-18.
The Comets tied the game 20-20 when the second quarter started, but after that, the game was all about the Rams. Both teams’ scoring pace slowed and the half ended with the Rams up 33-25.
The Ram offense clicked in the third quarter, as the Rams scored 29 points to hit their season average before the end of the quarter. Hinote and Ben Bravard scored two 3-point baskets each, and Towers scored a long basket, also. The score after three was 62-42. (The final in the December game was 62-44).
The Rams were ahead 75-50 with 1:30 to play when coach Chris Nelson emptied the bench. Austin Easterlie scored the final basket for the Rams. The game ended 77-56.
The 3-point shots were falling for both teams. The Rams made nine of 15 3-point shots for 60 percent and the Comets made seven of 15 3-point shots for 47 percent. The Rams made eight of 11 free throws while the Comets made nine of 14. The Rams shot at 55 percent from the floor, making 31 of 56 shots. The Comets made 18 of 41 shots for 44 percent.
The Rams have wrapped up four straight road games, winning two and losing two. They’re 10-6 on the season and 8-4 in the HOIAC. North Polk is 4-13 overall and 3-9 in the conference.
The Rams are third place in the conference. They play undefeated, conference leader South Hamilton at home on Tuesday. The play Prairie City-Monroe, number two in the conference, in Monroe Friday.
