March 28, 2024

Fillies edge the Cardinals

NEWTON — Senior Lizzie Stock squared up outside the three-point arc in the corner and put up the shot. Stock’s aim was true, netting a 3-pointer with 9.2 seconds remaining in the game and pulling Newton’s Cardinals to within two points of Dallas Center-Grimes.

Following a quick timeout called by NHS head coach Brandon Sharp, the Cardinals fouled Dani Heritage as soon as the inbounds pass came to her. Heritage missed the first of two free throw attempts but downed the second to put the Fillies up 44-41.

The Fillies took a timeout with 7.6 seconds on the game clock.

“We had the perfect play drawn up for a 3-pointer to tie it. It was there. They (the Fillies) played right into it,” Sharp said following the three-point loss. “We didn’t excute the play. It just comes down to decision making and turnovers for us right now.

“Our girls played with great effort tonight.”

The Cardinals pushed the Class 4A, 12th-ranked Fillies to the brink at home Tuesday night. Newton held the Fillies to three points in the first 7:58 of the game.

Shelby Gray’s bucket midway through the first quarter put the Cards up 4-3. Sydney Jenkins scored for Newton at the 2:43 mark and Stock scored with 20 seconds left to push the lead to 8-3. DCG’s Allison O’Brien broke a four-minute scoring drought for the Fillies at the end of the period.

Mach Masching dropped in two free throws for DCG to open the second period. The Cardinals scored in transition with Jenkins passing the basketball to Alex Hutchinson under the basket for the two points.

Dallas Center-Grimes got a basket from Selena Nolte at the 6:01 mark. The Fillies would not score again before halftime. Newton’s defense held off the Fillies and the Cardinals got baskets from Stock, Gray and Sarah Kalkhoff in the final four minutes to open a 16-9 lead at the break.

“The girls played well, especially in the first half. We played hard and disciplined basketball,” Sharp said. “We came out of halftime with a focus.”

Stock had the opening bucket of the second half. Gray’s shot crawled in and Newton was in front 20-9 with 6:39 left in the third quarter.

Sharp was assessed a technical foul a minute later with Heritage sinking both free throws for DCG. Heritage was 10-of-13 from the line in the game to end up with 16 points.

Michaela Jacobsen swiped the basketball from the Fillies and scored, which had the Cardinals up 22-11. Newton led 23-15 when Heritage drilled back-to-back 3-pointers for the Fillies.

Jacobsen answered with a basket. The Cardinals maintained their lead, 25-22, heading into the fourth quarter. Throughout the second half, the Cardinals had opportunities to stretch their lead but a pass was just a few inches off.

“We’re 10 games into our season. We need our ‘young’ players to step up and make better decisions. Turnovers are really hurting us. We had 31 tonight,” Sharp said. “At the end, we didn’t recognize we had what we wanted for the tying 3-pointer.”

Heritage downed two charities to put the Fillies in front for the first time since early in the game. Dallas Center-Grimes held a 31-27 lead but the Cardinals came back. Jacobsen hit both ends of a one-and-one and Hannah Rhoads sank two free throws to tie the game, 31-31, with 4:32 left.

The game was tied at 35-all and 37-all. The Fillies got back-to-back baskets from Lexi Rosa. O’Brien hit two free throws to make it 43-38 with 18.9 seconds left. Then came Stock’s three.

Jacobsen led the Cardinals with 13 points. Newton went 10-of-12 from the line while Dallas Center-Grimes was cashed in on 20-of-26 free throws. O’Brien scored 10 points for the Fillies.

Newton is 2-2 in Little Hawkeye Conference play and 2-8 overall. The Cardinals go to Grinnell on Friday in conference action.

In the junior varsity contest, Dallas Center-Grimes held on for a 37-31 win. Jessica Reynolds led Newton with 10 points and Victoria Jordan added seven points.

Newton 8-8-9-16—41

DCG 5-4-13-22—44

Newton — Jenkins 1-0-0-2, Stock 3/1-0-4-9, Rhoads 0-2-4-2, Gray 3-0-4-6, Jacobsen 4-5-4-13, Kalkhoff 1-2-4-4, Alex Hutchinson 2-1-0-5. TOTALS: 14/1-10-20-41.

Dallas Center-Grimes — O’Brien 3-4-1-10, Peyton 1-3-15, Dunphy 0-0-1-0, Kramer 1-0-3-2, Masching 0-2-0-2, P. Lowary 0-0-2-0, R. Lowary 0-0-1-0, Heritage 0/2-10-2-16, Rosa 3-1-2-7, Nolte 1-0-3-2. TOTALS: 9/2-20-16-44.