Girls suffer first loss of the season

(Above) Despite playing some tough defense against W-SH, the Clear Lake girls fell, 46-33, to the sixth ranked (4A) Go-Hawks. Pictured is (L-R): Kaitlyn VanderPloeg (34), Darby Dodd (12), and Emily Theiss (30).  -Reporter photo by Chris Barragy

by Marianne Gasaway

“It’s not always about the x’s and o’s. You’ve got to want it more,” said Clear Lake Coach Bart Smith after seeing his team fall 46-33 to sixth ranked (Class 4A) Waverly-Shell Rock Monday night.  It was the first loss of the season for the Lions, who came into the non-conference game ranked third in Class 3A.  The Go-Hawks improved to 7-1, while the Lions slipped to 8-1.

The teams played a nearly even first half, but W-SR outscored the Lions 18-8 in the third quarter and kept the upper hand down the stretch.  

The Go-Hawks were helped by Lion foul trouble in the second half.  Their trips to the free throw line paid off big, as they sunk 14 of 21 attempts, while the Lions went to the line just six times in the game and only made half of their attempts.

Starters Chelsey Holck and Kaitlyn VanderPloeg each came out of the game in the third quarter when they were called for their fourth fouls.  They returned in the final quarter, but with diminished success.  Holck was held scoreless in the game, while VanderPloeg had three points.

The Go-Hawks used a 12-0 run to establish a 28-18 lead midway through the third quarter.  Three-pointers from Emily Theiss and Darby Dodd, along with a basket in the paint from freshman Xada Johnson, helped trim the margin to eight at the close of the quarter, but that is as close as the Lions would get. 

The Go-Hawks held the Lions to just seven points in the fourth quarter to claim the 13-point victory.

“I thought we played alright in our first game after the break against a good team, but we didn’t compete.  They wanted it more,” said Coach Smith.

The coach said his team will focus on defense this week, as they prepare to host Webster City Friday and then travel to Forest City Saturday.  He noted he was pleased with the effort from girls who came off the bench, as well as the return of Darby Dodd to the lineup.  The senior, who had been out with an injury, finished with a team-high 11-points.  

Jaden Ainley scored nine points, all in the second quarter, and a pair of three-pointers gave Theiss six-points in the game.  Johnson and Annika Nelson came off the bench and scored two apiece.