Girls Game
NEW SHARON – It is not often that the top two teams in the state meet in the regular season. It is even rarer when the teams are from the same county, at least in the smaller school category.
Monday’s nonconference meeting between Class 2A top-ranked Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont and No. 2 North Mahaska was all it had been billed. In the end it was the Rockets who came away with a 49-40 win.
EBF (11-0) jumped out to a 10-2 lead and North Mahaska could get no closer than two. North Mahaska turned the ball over 13 times but forced 20 Rocket miscues in the contest including 11 steals. The Rockets handled the boards outrebounding North Mahaska 30-22, several of those on the offensive side giving the Rockets second chances.
North Mahaska coach L.E. Moore was still pleased with his team’s performance. He said before the game his team would be relentless on defense.
“Yes, it was a total team defensive effort, they left it out there,” said Moore. “The girls play hard, here or there sometimes it makes a difference. We can play hard and do really great things.
“Good things to come from this loss. Kids showed passion afterwards. I am really proud of them.”
Foul trouble proved a bit unnerving for the Warhawks. Heading into the final 2 minutes NM had been whistled 13 times while EBF had just three fouls. Seniors Regan Grewe and Breckyn Schilling each played with four. To EBF’s credit, they were able to withstand the NM pressure playing just five girls.
Schilling led the scoring with 10 points, Grewe had eight and Kayla Readshaw finished with seven. Readshaw led the team in steals with four. Schilling led in assists with six and Nataliya Linder recorded the team’s lone block.
EBF’s triple threat of Molly Shafer, Kate Shafer and Ava Eastlick led the Rockets. Molly Shafer finished with 18 points, five rebounds, three steals, three assists and two blocks. Sister Kate had 2 points, six rebounds, five steals, three assists and three blocks. Eastlick chipped in 12 points with here assists. Kaylee Helm added five points and six rebounds.
The loss was the first of the season for the Warhawks. North Mahaska, 8-1 overall and 6-0 in South Iowa Cedar League play. They hold a one-game lead over Montezuma and host fifth place Sigourney Tuesday.
Boys Game
North Mahaska was efficient at both ends of the court Monday and grounded the Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Rockets 64-32 in nonconference play. The host Warhawks improved to 8-1 on the season while EBF remained winless 0-8.
It was a little slow going for the Warhawks in the opening period but adjustments made in the second quarter proved too much for the outmanned Rockets. NM led 15-11 after one period but outscored EBF 24-7 in the second quarter and the defense allowed only a free throw in the third period.
“Defense was the name of the game,” said NM coach Kevin Kelderman. “The kids reacted well to what we wanted to do. When we are sharing the ball we are tough to guard.”
North Mahaska doled out 12 assists and collected 19 steals and forced 21 EBF turnovers. They also outrebounded the Rockets nearly two to one.
For the second game in a row three Warhawks reached double figures in scoring. Gabe Hora led with 19, Asher DeBoef scored 16 and Luke Nunnikhoven finished with 10. Seven Warhawks scored on the night. Dane VanMersbergen chipped in six and Adrian Smith added five.
DeBoef had an impressive line with seven rebounds, four steals and four assists. Smith had four steals and two assists, while Jack Kelderman had five rebounds, three steals and two assists. Jaxon VanDerVeer, Hora and Trenton DeBruin each recorded a block.
Gavin Spaur led EBF’s scoring with seven points. Austin Langstraat, Corbin Kirkpatrick and Emmet Holohan each had six.
North Mahaska will host Sigourney Tuesday in a South Iowa Cedar League tilt then goes to Iowa Valley on Friday.
