The Greene County Rams hosted the South Hamilton Hawks Thursday (Jan. 24) evening for games postponed from Tuesday due to the weather. The girls lost 29-21 and the boys lost 75-48.
The Ram girls, who are still searching for their first win of the season, came closer than they have in any other game. The average point differential going into the game against the 3-11 Hawks was 26.57 points, with their smallest deficit being 12 points and their largest being 49 points. They lost to the Hawks by only eight points, 29-21. Their first meeting in November was a 40-21 loss for the Rams.
The Rams’ strength in the game was at the free throw line. They made it to the line 20 times, with half those trips belonging to Izzy Bravard. Bravard led the Rams in scoring with seven points, all of them from the free throw line.
The Rams were down 15-5 after one quarter, with three of those points coming from free throws (two for Brianna Habben and one for Bravard) and the other two being a Habben field goal. Two Bravard free throws were the only points in the second quarter; the Rams were down 21-7 at intermission.
In the third quarter Bailey Cunningham and Kassie Lamoureux each made a 2-point basket and Bravard made two free throws. The score was 26-13 after three quarters.
The fourth quarter was the Rams’ best, as they seemed to add intensity and energy rather than tiring out. They scored eight points, including a 3-pointer for Lamoureux, a field goal for Lily Muir, two free throws from Bravard and one from Brianna Osterson.
For the game, along with Bravard’s seven points, Lamoureux scored five points, Habben scored four, Cunningham and Muir scored two each, and Osterson scored one.
The Rams’ record is now 0-15 overall and 0-10 in the Heart of Iowa Activities Conference. That includes a 61-30 loss in Carroll Monday to the Kuemper Knights.
The Hawks improved to 4-11 on the season and 3-6 in the conference.
The Ram boys weren’t a match for the Hawks, rated No. 5 in Class 2A. The Hawks scored first but the Rams managed to tie the score at 4 and then take a 7-4 lead with a 2-point basket followed by a free throw with 5:45 to play in the first quarter. They didn’t score again in the quarter, and the score was 16-7 when the buzzer sounded.
The Rams didn’t score again until 2-1/2 minutes had passed in the second quarter. It was Hinote who again had a field goal – free throw 3-point play. Hinote found his mark and scored 12 points in the quarter.
Between Hinote and a field goal from Cael Fisher the Rams narrowed the Hawks’ lead to 24-21 with 2 minutes to play. Again, the Rams hit a drought. The score was 32-21 at intermission and 36-21 before Fisher scored a tres with 1:40 gone in the third quarter. Hinote made two 3-point baskets and a field goal on the buzzer for the Rams only other points in the third quarter. The score was 55-32 at the end of the quarter.
The Hawks made the best of Ram miscues in ball handling. They turned Ram turnovers into lay-ups that looked effortless. They also did a better job on the boards than the Rams, particularly on their offensive rebounding. Ram Tyler Miller, who hovers above most high school players at 6’ 9”, didn’t play, but the Hawks didn’t have much of a height advantage over the Rams. They just played the boards better.
Hinote was held scoreless in the fourth quarter as the Rams put up 16 points. That included Carter Morton’s only tres for the game. Coach Chris Nelson put all his players in the game during the last three minutes, after the outcome was clear. The final score was 75-48.
Hinote scored 23 points to lead the Rams. Morton scored eight, John Rosado scored six, Fisher scored five, and Nick Breon and Skyler Ripperger scored two each.
Comparing the rebound numbers posted to QuikStats, the Hawks had 11 offensive rebounds and 29 defensive rebounds while the Rams had only two offensive rebounds and 25 defensive rebounds.
The Rams have struggled finding wins in recent games, having lost eight of the last nine games. They’re 5-11 overall and 3-7 in the conference. The Haws are 13-1 on the season and 9-1 in the conference.
