Lady Hounds start fast, finish slow at WB

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BY CHUCK VANDENBERG
PCC EDITOR

WEST BURLINGTON - The game didn't count against any records because it was officially a scrimmage, but unofficially, the Fort Madison Lady Hounds were hoping to building on Friday's upset win over Centerville.

That hope lasted about four minutes into Monday's Hall of Pride Scrimmage when Fort Madison rushed out to a 6-2 lead on a bucket by senior Sarah Bernhart.

But West Burlington's Leah Collier scored back-to-back buckets in just seven seconds, including a 3-ball, to put the Falcons up 7-6, a lead they would never relinquish en route to a 65-39 win.

Collier's buckets were part of a 12-0 run in the first quarter capped by freshman Abigail Bence's driving bucket. Fort Madison responded with another bucket from Bernhart and a couple of free throws to cut the lead to 14-11, but the Falcons would hold an 18-13 lead after 1.

West Burlington rolled a full-court press in the first quarter and pulled back to half-court for the rest of the first half as Fort Madison was able to have some success in transition getting through.

"We've got a lot of work to do on that the press yet, but we did alright tonight," head coach Tony Sargent said.

Fort Madison freshman Camille Kruse drives the right baseline around West Burlington's Samantha Dzawo Monday night as the Falcon's coach John Vandenberg shouts instructions from the sideline. Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC

"That's a good team. I think our girls got a little intimidated by it. We'd go in and maybe have a good shot and then pull back with a fade away."

West Burlington would push the lead to as much as 12 at 30-18, but Kruse would hit all three free throws after getting fouled at the arch to cut the lead to 9. Kruse would hit both ends of one-and-ones with less than a minute to go in the half to cut the lead to seven at 34-27, but that's as close as Fort Madison would get.

Fort Madison would be within striking distance down 42-33 at the end of the third period, but a cold spell would settle at the Falcons' gym as the Hounds would go 4-15 in the final eight minutes as West Burlington raced to a 24-point win.

Bernhart led Fort Madison from the field with 11 points, 10 in the first half. Freshman Camille Kruse, who had 14 against Centerville on Friday, was held to just one bucket from the floor, but converted 7-of-7 from the free throw line for nine points on the night, all in the first half.

Molly Knipe had six points, while Brandy Walker added five, Anna Kester had three, Kylee Cashman and Isabella Boeding each scored two, and Nadia Boeding rounded out the scoring with a point.

Sargent said it was a physical game from the outset and Fort Madison needs to get tougher inside the lane.

"That's a very physical team, my girls were getting shoved around under the basket pretty good, but they need to learn to fight back."

He said West Burlington probably had a seven- or eight-to-one advantage on the boards, completely dominating on the offensive side of the court. Sargent also said the Hounds got a little tired in the final minutes and that attributed to the poor shooting performance in the final period.

"We were getting a little bit tired and I think the girls were a little down in the dumps," he said.

"They had high expectations coming in and it's going to be hard to keep these girls focused on it being OK to lose games here and there."

West Burlington had four players in double figures led by Collier's 16.

The Hounds traveled to Ottumwa for a Tuesday night game before taking a break for Thanksgiving and returning to action Tuesday, Dec. 3 when they host Davis County at the HoundDome.

basketball, fort madison, girls, Lady Hounds, Pen City Current, sports, West Burlington

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