March 19, 2024

Slow start plagues CMB girls against Saydel

DES MOINES — For the Collins-Maxwell/Baxter’s offense to work at its best, Raider girls basketball coach Jamie Zabel needs his guards to step up and make outside shots with confidence.

That just hasn’t happened enough this year, and it did them in again during a Heart of Iowa Conference contest that ended regular-season play here on Tuesday night.

CMB got off to a rocky start against Saydel, and the points were hard to come by throughout the game as the Raiders struggled through a 38-19 defeat against the Eagles.

It was the seventh straight loss for CMB, and the Raiders were held to less than 30 points for the 10th time this season.

“I think it’s as simple as not making outside shots because it doesn’t open up our inside game,” Zabel said. “They can sag their defense into the lane, and we get double and triple teamed most of the game. Then they get discouraged when the shots don’t fall. I have to beg kids to take outside shots. We have to take them and make them if we want to get any better.”

The Eagles, who have won three of their last four games, jumped out to a 16-4 lead after one quarter. They only outscored CMB by seven in the final three quarters, and the Raiders held Saydel to 13 second-half points.

“I thought our defensive effort after the first quarter was great,” Zabel said. “To hold them to 13 in the second half was pretty good. We played even with them for most of the way after the first quarter.”

Besides not hitting outside shots, the CMB offense also struggled because it turned the ball over 27 times. Of those miscues, 21 came in the first half.

The Eagles turned it over 20 times but stayed in front because they had a 5-0 advantage in made 3-pointers. The Raiders were 0-for-5 from long range and 8-of-31 from the floor.

Mikayla Eslinger had all four of CMB’s points in the first quarter. The Raiders were outscored 9-2 in the second frame, and the only points came from Sydney Ziesman, who had a team-high six points, three steals and three rebounds in the loss.

CMB (2-18 overall, 1-15 in the HOIC) more than doubled its output in the third quarter but still trailed 30-13 heading into the fourth frame before losing by 19.

“I thought the second half was much better tonight,” Zabel said. “I just wish we could have played better in the first quarter.”

Kathleen Baldwin scored five points for the Raiders, while Eslinger scored four points and grabbed four boards.

Saydel (8-13, 6-10) got 12 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and five steals from all-conference player Cassie Chubb. No other Eagle player reached double-figures.

The Raiders open postseason play on the road at 7 p.m. Saturday against Class 3A No. 3 Nevada.

Collins-Maxwell/Baxter 4-2-7-6—19

Saydel 16-9-5-8—38

CMB (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): Hinegardner 1-0-1-2, Ziesman 2-0-3-6, Ritter 1-0-3-2, Baldwin 2-1-3-5, Eslinger 2-0-3-4, Jessen 0-0-0-0, Condon 0-0-0-0, Larson 0-0-3-0, Jones 0-0-1-0, Wierson 0-0-0-0. Totals 8-3-14-19.

Saydel (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP): Wicks 2-0-3-4, Knight 1-1-1-3, Chubb 4/2-2-1-12, Irlbeck 1-0-0-2, Pyles 1-0-1-3, Tolentino 1-0-1-2, Bowman 0-0-2-0, Butters 0-0-1-0, Erdelt 0-0-0-0, M. Schmidt 2/1-2-1-7, K. Schmidt 2-0-3-4, Kouski 0-0-0-0, Bear 0-0-1-0. Totals: 14/5-5-15-38.