Slow start stymies NHS girls against Norwalk

NORWALK — Playing catch-up basketball of late, Newton High’s Cardinal girls ran into a second straight loss in Little Hawkeye Conference action.

The Cardinals had another slow start Friday night against host Norwalk. The Warriors fended off a couple second-half runs by the Cardinals to hand Newton a 56-42 setback.

Newton dropped to 7-6 overall and 2-4 in conference play. Five of the six losses by the Cardinals have come against ranked opponents.

“It comes down to getting stops,” Newton head coach Brandon Sharp said. “We’ll get back to basics and keep working. It’s our hard-hat mentally.”

Norwalk pushed out to a 10-1 lead and was up 14-3 at the end of the first quarter. Newton began to climb into the game during the second quarter.

Down 24-9, Newton’s junior Taylor Shipley scored followed by senior post player Jessica Reynolds. Senior Hannah Rhoads was fouled, hit one free throw and because of a cut, she had to go to the bench. Senior Sydney Jenkins shot and sank the second free throw to make it 26-15.

Back-to-back baskets by Reynolds and senior Alex Hutchinson helped Newton chip the deficit to nine points, 28-19. Newton scored 16 points in the second quarter but trailed 28-19 at the break.

Reynolds opened the second half with a basket for the Cardinals followed by four free throws from Jenkins to close the gap to three points, 28-25. A four-point surge by Tori Van Velzen inside stretched out Norwalk’s lead again.

It was 37-29 after three quarters of play. The Warriors were up 47-36 when Rhoads hit a 3-pointer to trigger a 6-1 run to pull within six, 48-42. Turnovers prevented the Cardinals from getting any closer.

Reynolds led the Cardinals with 12 points. Jenkins, Shipley, Megan Pressgrove and Rhoads each had six points apiece. Newton went 12-of-19 at the free-throw line.

Norwalk got 17 points from Van Velzen and 14 points from Miranda Hughes. The Warriors sank 16-of-26 free throw attempts.

The Cardinals travel Tuesday to play at Class 4A No. 14 Boone (10-2) in a non-conference contest.

Newton’s junior varsity lost 33-31 when a 3-pointer at the buzzer by Randi Walters did not go in. Taylor Ryan scored 11 points for Newton followed by Marcelina Marvelli with seven points. Anna Forsyth scored five points and Addy Blom had four points. Walters and Harlie Durr had two points each.

Newton  3-16-10-13—42

Norwalk  14-14-9-19—56

Newton (FG/3-pt): Rausch 0-0-4-0, Jenkins 0-6-1-6, Hutchinson 2-0-3-4, Reynolds 5-2-3-12, Shipley 2-2-2-6, Jacobsen 1-0-4-2, Pressgrove 1/1-1-4-6, Rhoads 1/1-1-4-6. TOTALS: 12/2-12-25-42.

Norwalk (FG/3-pt): Origer 1/1-1-4-6, Campbell 1/2-1-1-9, Van Velzen 6-5-4-17, Hughes 2/1-7-4-14, Laire 1-0-0-2, Scallon 0/1-0-0-3, Nelson 0/1-2-4-5. TOTALS: 11/6-16-17-56.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535
or jsheets@newtondailynews.com