BURLINGTON – Fort Madison’s Irelynd Sargent started the game with a 3-ball and wrapped up the first quarter with another long ball at the horn setting a tone for Saturday’s 46-30 win over Class 1A 15th-ranked Burlington Notre Dame.
Sargent finished with nine points, while senior Aija Jenkins had 10, and freshman Reilynn Turnbull had nine to lead the Hounds.
It may be the play of Turnbull that has Head Coach Landon Bentley’s attention, coming after a strong performance on Friday in a 57-49 loss at Burlington.
“I’m a coach that if you earn it, you’re going to see it, and she earned it (Friday) night. She played a phenomenal game Friday night so I told the girls she would be in the rotation more,” Bentley said.
“She suffered the freshman jitters early, but now she realizes she can just play basketball. She’s going to be a great asset to Fort Madison girls basketball for the next four years.”
Turnbull said she’s just trying to give the Lady Hounds a boost.
“I wanna go in just to play. It’s a lot harder at the varsity level than it is at junior varsity so it’s a big transition,” she said. “I just want to help my team get rebounds and steals. I don’t have to get a lot of points. I just want to help my team.”
She said she still gets some jitters when she first checks in, but that’s staring to sort itself out.
“It takes me a while. I get nervous when I first go in, but then my confidence builds as the play goes on.”
Fort Madison opened a quick 6-2 lead on Sargent’s long ball and a 3-point play by senior Taylor Johnson, but Notre Dame would come storming back on a 10-2 run to take a 12-8 lead on Taryn Stephen’s bucket.
Sargent would cut it to one with the 3-ball at the buzzer and then Fort Madison would step on the gas a bit in the second quarter.
Sargent would score again to start the second period to take a 13-12 lead. Turnbull would add a freethrow after getting fouled swinging into the lane on a floater that didn’t go. A bucket by Notre Dame freshman Daizy Hazell tied things back up at 14. The Hounds' defense would hold up allowing just one more bucket from the field to the Nikes by Aviana West with less than 20 seconds remaining to make it 20-17, but Jenkins would add a bucket just under the horn at the half for a 22-17 lead.
The Lady Hounds would open up a 12-point lead in the third period when Jenkins hit a 3-ball from the right wing. Fort Madison would hold that lead throughout the third period. The Nikes would get whistled for four fouls down the stretch in the third, sending Turnbull to the freethrow lines six times and Dayonna Davis twice. The Hounds completed just 3 of the eight for a 35-25 lead at the end of three.
Fort Madison would complete just 9 of 31 from the freethrow line, a stat that has Bentley baffled a bit.
“We shot 50 each day last week. It’s coming down to us staying focused on freethrows. We’re going to try different drills maybe for them, but we shot 50 every single day last week,” he said.
Notre Dame didn’t get any closer than 10 the rest of the way. West hit a bucket at the 4:26 mark to make it 37-27, but Jenkins would answer with another 3-pointer and Halle Menke would convert inside for a 42-27 lead that would stretch to 16 by the game’s end.
Bentley said he was happy how the team responded after a lackluster performance Friday at BHS.
“A lot of what we did differently tonight was them,” he said. “They brought energy and played all four quarters. Last night, we came out and acted like we didn’t want to be there. When you think stuff’s gonna get handed to you, you get humbled. But I’m extremely proud of how the girls came out played today.”
Davis and Johnson each had six in the win for the 6-2 (2-1) Lady Hounds. They take on Washington Tuesday at the Hound Dome in a Southeast Conference matchup. The Demons are also 2-1 on the conference and stand at 5-4 on the year.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here