Lady Hounds crack under HTC's pressure

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BY CHUCK VANDENBERG

PCC EDITOR

FORT MADISON - Holy Trinity Catholic had five players in double figures as they rolled cross-town Fort Madison 69-22 Monday in girls high school basketball action.

Holy Trinity's Taylor Boeding went for 21 to lead all scorers including five 3-balls, three in the second half, as the Crusaders press off made baskets caused Fort Madison fits from the outset.

HTC opened up a 15-0 first-quarter lead before Fort Madison would get on the board with a Maddie Rashid running jumper. Fort Madison would commit seven first-quarter turnovers trying to navigate the zone-trap press of Holy Trinity.

Fort Madison's Nadia Boeding, tries to bring the ball up the floor as HTC's Taylor Boeding applies pressure in Monday nights 69-22 HTC win. Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC

The Lady Crusaders would push the lead to 20-6 when Boeding would score off a steal in transition and would lead 22-6 at the end of one on a Box bucket with time expiring in the quarter.

Hound senior Braxtyn McGhghy would start the scoring in the second period with a bucket from about four feet away in the lane. HTC would go cold from the field missing their first four shots until Boeding hooked up a 3-ball from the wing to make it 30-10.

Junior Ashlynn Haas would connect on a three to make it 33-10 and senior Emily Box would score on back-to-back trips down the floor for a 37-10 halftime lead.

Head Coach Tony Johnson would keep the pressure on the Hounds in the third period and the Hounds wouldn't be able to mount any sort of comeback, being held to just 10 points in the third period, while HTC raced to a 54-20 lead at the end of three.

Boeding would open with another 3-ball to start the 4th quarter and Box would score on consecutive trips down the floor for HTC while Fort Madison got a 3-ball from Eleesha Estrada as its only bucket in the final period.

Boeding, who's been in double figures the last four games for HTC, and has shot about 37% from the 3-point line over that span, said it's natural for her to play catch and shoot. But she also was able to get the ball inside to Box and senior Eryn Anderson from the point guard spot.

HTC's Eryn Anderson works underneath against Fort Madison's Sara Bernhardt in second half action Monday night at Shottenkirk Gymnasium. Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC

"I knew that tonight would be a good night to get everyone involved and playing selfishly wasn't in the deck of cards that needed to be played," Boeding said.

A streaky 3-point shooter, Boeding said she's been working this year, watching tape and following games to see what she's doing right and what's not working.

"I've noticed that I've gotten into a rhythm and I've been watching myself on tape as to what I'm doing when I make threes and what I do when I miss, and I'm trying to focus on the things that work," she said.

Fort Madison coach Todd McGhghy said the 1-3-1 zone press of the Crusaders caused problems, but the girls also failed to execute once they got past the half court.

"Our girls gotta be able to see the floor in those press situations and attack when we can. That 1-3-1 gave us fits, but also our inability to execute the game plan in the half-court offense," McGhghy said.

On several occasions, the Hounds would make passes where no one was there to take the pass. McGhghy said nothing new was in place, there was just poor execution.

"Tony does a great job, They don't do anything fancy, they just execute us. With all due respect, I don't think they're 40 points better than us, but I don't want to take anything away from Tony and his girls."

Johnson said HTC wasn't looking past the 1-13 Bloodhounds.

"We never take any games easy. The good thing for us is we had Friday off so we had a good practice and then the girls got two days of rest because of the weather."

He said Boeding controlled the offense well, while still trying to look for her shots.

"We've been flipping her and Mya at point guard and letting Taylor get acclimated to it. But if they're going to give us Box down underneath we're going to go to that. Tonight they were trying to play a matchup zone so we were trying to get it inside to Eryn and Box as much as we could."

In addition to Boeding's 21, Box added 16, Lawlor and Ashlynn Haas and Anderson each scored in double figures with 10 points. Avery Hopper, who was back after a lower-leg injury, scored two.

McGhghy led Fort Madison with seven points. Maddie Rashid added five. Sara Bernhardt, Kylee Cashman, Jassmine Bass, Eleesha Estrada, and Brandy Walker all had two points for Fort Madison.

The Crusaders head to New London on Tuesday for a girls/boys doubleheader and the Bloodhounds head to Burlington for a girls/boys doubleheader.

Fort Madison High School, girls, iowa, varisty

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