The Ram varsity basketball teams traveled to Gilbert to play the Tigers for the second time this season and came away with a pair of losses, just as they did during their first games last month.The Rams stayed closer to the Tigers in the boys game, losing by25 points, 89-64. The December game was a discouraging loss, 95-61, with the last 2:35 being played with a continuous clock. Ram turnovers played role in the loss. The Rams turned the ball over 12 times in the first half and 18 times for the game. The Tigers capitalized on many of the turnovers, with a fast break and a lay-up being the usual follow-up to a Ram turnover. The Tigers turned the ball over eight times.
The Rams got on the scoreboard first on a 3-point basket by Carter Morton just six seconds into the game. It was the first of four long baskets for Morton. The Tigers scored the next two baskets to take a 4-3 lead and they held the lead the rest of the game. Morton’s third tres tied the game at 15 with one minute left in the first quarter. Gilbert scored last with a field goal and the first quarter ended at 17-15.
The Rams were only lukewarm shooting in the second quarter, allowing the Tigers to build their lead to as many as 18 points, 40-22, with 2:36 to play. A very long shot by Trey Hinote followed by a Cael Fisher field goal shrank the deficit to 15 points. The Tigers made a free throw and Morton scored a tres, putting the Rams down 41-30 at the half.
The Ras scored 20 points in the third quarter with three 3-point baskets, including one by sophomore Zach Goff, his first varsity points. Morton had scored 16 points in the first half, but his only second-half points came at the free throw line. He missed the first second-half free throw but made the next seven, with three of them in the third quarter. (For the game Morton made nine of 12 free throws.) The Rams were down 67-50 at the end of the quarter.
The fourth quarter was more of the same but the faces changed as Gilbert reserve players saw playing time. Juniors Cole Betts, Logan Kinsey and Joe Patterson all got playing time for the Rams. Patterson proved his worth by making four of four shots from the line. The Rams trailed 89-58 with two minutes to play, but Goff made a pair of field goals and Patterson made the last two free throws for the final score of 89-64.
Morton led the Rams in scoring with 23 points. Hinote scored 14 points with two 3-point baskets, Cael Fisher scored eight points including two 3-point baskets, Goff had seven points, and Xavier Hayes, John Rosado and Patterson added four points each.
The Tigers lead the Heart of Iowa Activities Conference. The win puts them at 8-0 in the conference and 10-2 overall.
The Rams are 5-7 overall and 3-5 in the HOIAC.
The girls scored one point more than their season average in a 71-22 loss. They scored four points in the first quarter, all of them from the free throw line. They were more than three minutes into the second quarter before Bailey Cunningham made the Rams’ first field goal of the game, making the score 25-6. She was fouled in the act of shooting and made the free throw for an old-fashioned 3-point play.
The Rams scored half their points in the second quarter and trailed 35-15 at intermission. They managed just three points in the third quarter. The clock ran continuously after the Tigers built their lead to 51-16 with 3:17 to play in the third. The quarter ended at 56-18.
The highlight of the fourth quarter was a basket by Brazilian exchange student Luisa Slompo to start the quarter. She played volleyball in Brazil and was an asset to the Ram volleyball team, but came with no basketball experience. The 6’-1” player scored quickly once she got in the game. Brianna Habben was the only other Ram to score in the quarter.
Cunningham scored seven points, Izzy Bravard scored six (all from the line), Brianna Habbenn scored four, Brianna Osterson and Slompo scored two points each, and Sadie Wilson scored one point.
The Tigers are ranked #14 in girls 3A basketball. They’re 9-4 overall and 7-1 in the conference. The Rams are still looking for a win. They’re 0-11 overall and 0-8 in the HOIAC.
The Rams host the non-conference Winterset Huskies on Monday.
