Quick start propels Cards past Huskies
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This weekend gave the Newton boys basketball team a chance to head into the holiday break with a pair of victories.
Instead, the Cardinals settled for a win Saturday as Newton jumped out to a fast start and used a balanced scoring attack in a 60-44 victory over Winterset.
Friday, Newton traveled to conference rival Oskaloosa and returned home with a 75-54 loss after shooting just 16-for-58 from the field and committing 23 turnovers.
“We had a tough night Friday, so it was good to see the kids bounce back with a win,” Newton coach Tom Vanderlaan said after Saturday’s win. “It was a good team win. It helps us head into the break on a positive note.”
The Cardinals used a 9-2 run at the end of the first quarter to build an 18-7 lead after one. The run wound up being 13-2 after two more buckets went down early in the second quarter. Newton led by as many as 20 in the second period before going into halftime up 15.
“We needed that fast start,” Vanderlaan said. “That was important for us.”
Winterset, which has just one win on the season, gave the Cardinals a little bit of a scare in the third, cutting the deficit to just six points. From there, junior Devin Hugen buried a huge 3, and senior Colten McDermott added a layup and free throw to push the Newton lead back to 12 heading into the fourth.
“That was a big shot by Devin,” Vanderlaan said. “That kind of made me and the team feel comfortable again.”
Junior Spencer Osborn scored eight of his 10 points in the final frame as Newton never let the Huskies get closer than 11 the rest of the way on its way to a 16-point win at home.
The Cardinals hit 24-of-52 from the field but only connected on 7-of-16 free throws. They also had just seven turnovers and a very balanced offensive attack.
“We did a nice job of running on their turnovers and slowing it down when we needed to,” Vanderlaan said. “We took better shots tonight, and we made them, too. We also took care of the ball.”
Hugen led the Cardinals with 12 points, six rebounds and three assists, while McDermott added 12 points and six assists. Osborn added 10, and senior Grant McDermott buried three triples and finished with nine points. Senior Josh Bates had seven points, three rebounds and three steals.
Against Oskaloosa, the Cardinals trailed by 20 at halftime and lost by the same margin.
Vanderlaan said the Indians controlled the tempo of the game with their pressure.
“They sped us up, and we missed open shots, took a bad shot or threw it away most of the night,” Vanderlaan said. “We played even with them in the second half, but the pressure was off at that point.”
Hugen led Newton (2-5) again with 10 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and four steals. Colten McDermott added 12 points, three assists and three steals. Osborn had 10 points inside, while sophomore Shamus Baltisberger scored all 11 of his points in the final three minutes of the game.
Saturday night
Newton 60, Winterset 44
Score by quarters
WHS 7 10 16 11 — 44
NHS 18 14 13 15 — 60
Individual statistics
Scorng — Devin Hugen 12, Colten McDermott 12, Spencer Osborn 10, Grant McDermott 9, Josh Bates 7, Brian Rose 4, Shamus Baltisberger 4, Scott Nilles 2. Rebounds — 26 (Hugen 6, Bates 3). Assists — 13 (Colten McDermott 6, Hugen 3). Steals — 10 (Bates 3). Blocks — 1 (Hugen).
