Lady Hounds knock off Washington to take conference lead

The Lady Hounds Irelynd Sargent (15) cuts off Washington's Makenna Conrad at the baseline in the 4th quarter of Tuesday's game in Fort Madison

Photo by Chuck Vandenberg/PCC

In a good place

We’re 6-3, and we hoped to be a little better. A couple of those games could have gone either way, but it is what it is. So I’m happy where we’re at right now.”

Toni Sargent, FMHS girls head coach

FORT MADISON - The Christmas break has come at a good time for Fort Madison High School’s girls basketball team.
The Bloodhounds will take some momentum into the time off after Tuesday’s 52-46 home win over Washington.
Fort Madison coach Toni Sargent is hoping to find a team to scrimmage over the holiday break, but she knows her team could use a little rest.
The Bloodhounds had lost three games over two days, so bouncing back was important.
“You always hate it because you don’t play for a long time,” Sargent said. “We don’t play until January 6, so it seems like we do have a long time off. It makes it a long time, but it also comes at a time when the kids actually need a little break because it’s a long season.”
The Bloodhounds (6-3 overall, 3-1 Southeast Conference) led almost the entire game, but needed to hold on in the fourth quarter as the Demons (5-3, 2-2) rallied.
Fort Madison led 44-32 at the end of the third quarter, then didn’t get another field goal until Camille Kruse scored inside with 2:12 left in the game. Washington got within two points twice, but couldn't get a lead.
“We were just kind of rushing our shots,” Sargent said. “We were taking shots that we didn’t need to take. We weren’t working some time off the clock. I know we have the shot clock, but we could have worked it down a little bit to take better shots.
“Our shots that we took weren’t necessarily bad, it was just they weren’t falling.”
Kruse, who had 23 points, took control of the game in the second quarter. She didn’t score in the first quarter, but had 13 in the second, including seven to open the quarter to put Fort Madison up 19-7.
“She is one of those kind of players who can just score at will,” Sargent said. “Sometimes she isn’t as selfish as she should be — she tries to get everyone else involved, and that’s OK. But then she’ll take over and come up big when we need her to.”
Ajia Jenkins added 12 points for the Bloodhounds.
Now, they can get a break.
“This is a great group of girls,” Sargent said. “We’re 6-3, and we hoped to be a little better. A couple of those games could have gone either way, but it is what it is. So I’m happy where we’re at right now.”