Lions prove worthy of ranking

(Above) Chloe Mueller works her way around an aggressive Charles City defender.  Also pictured is Jordyn Barragy.

The Clear Lake girls basketball season opened the season ranked number three in Class 3A by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union.  The Lions proved worthy of the lofty ranking, as they kicked off the 2017 campaign with a decisive 57-16 victory over Charles City Tuesday, Nov. 21.

“It took us a few minutes to get in a flow offensively, but when we did we were making good decisions and getting some good look offensively,” said Head Coach Bart Smith.   “I was happy with their effort on defense and they really did a nice job pressuring the ball.”

Offensive flow or not, the Lions jumped out to a 21-0 lead after the first quarter of play.  The Comets didn’t begin to get their own game together until the second period.  They put in 11 points to make the difference 42-11 at the half.

The point spread allowed Coach Smith to give his bench players plenty of minutes and experience which he knows will pay off down the line.

“Some of our freshman and sophomores that are getting some minutes played with some patience and didn’t get into much of a hurry, so it was good to see them be efficient when they got in there,” he said.

Clear Lake’s starters scored 46 of the teams’ 57 points despite playing limited minutes.  Sophomore Sara Faber led the way with 23 points.  Faber connected on three of her six three-point attempts, as well as two-of-three free throws.  She also pulled down a team-high four rebounds.

Another sophomore, Lexi Fasbender, poured in nine points to go with her three rebounds.  Her stat line also included five assists.

Seniors Gretchen Jones and Jordyn Barragy finished with eight points and six points respectively.  Each player had two treys.  Senior starter Chloe Mueller did not score, but used her defensive prowess to make three steals and block a shot.  She was also credited with three rebounds and three assists.

Freshman Ali Maulsby made the most of her first varsity experience.  She scored seven points and had an assist, steal and rebound.  Freshman Zoey Fasbender and junior Rowan Fread also saw action and each scored two points.

“We still need to improve  on some things because we have some tough games before break, so we need to stay focused during these next few weeks,” said Coach Smith.

The Lions will spend the week on the road.  Monday the Lions were at Waverly-Shell Rock and Tuesday they played at West Fork.  Friday, Dec. 1, the team will travel to Hampton for its first North Central Conference matchup.