March 19, 2024

Second quarter run helps Warhawk girls pull away from Tigerhawks

COLFAX — The Colfax-Mingo girls basketball team matched North Mahaska point-for-point for the first 11 minutes of a South Iowa Cedar League game Tuesday.

Senior Amy Russell banked in a 3-pointer to tie the game at 20-all with about 5 minutes to play in the second quarter, and Colfax-Mingo coach Larry Roberts like where his team was at.

Unfortunately for the Tigerhawks, North Mahaska countered the Russell trey with a 12-0 run, took away the home team’s momentum and cruised to a 66-38 road victory.

“I think part of it is that North Mahaska is a really good team,” said Roberts when asked what happened to trigger the 12-0 in the second quarter. “We tend to do positive things in spurts, but North Mahaska does it for long stretches.”

Junior McKeely Tjaden kept the Tigerhawks (3-10 overall, 3-8 in the SICL) in the game in the first quarter.

After North Mahaska went in front 12-4, Tjaden scored four straight buckets to tie the game. She scored on a putback, a drive to the bucket, buried a jumper and converted a bank shot during that stretch.

North Mahaska though countered with a 3-pointer to take a 15-12 lead after one quarter. Tjaden scored 12 points in the period but did not score again.

“Both teams played really hard, but one team was just better than the other team tonight,” Roberts said. “I am glad that we didn’t give up.”

The Tigerhawks stayed close early in the second quarter when Russell made a layup, senior Dakota Hostetter hit 1-of-2 from the free-throw line and junior Ries Wilson converted a basket inside the lane.

Russell’s 3-pointer moments later tied the game at 20-all, but North Mahaska’s full-court pressure forced the Tigerhawks into some costly turnovers and allowed the Warhawks to essentially put the game away.

North Mahaska (11-4, 10-3) led 32-20 at halftime and then outscored the Tigerhawks 44-18 in the second half.

“When you have a letdown, a team like this can take advantage of that,” Roberts said. “Our effort was great the entire game. I am proud of how hard we played. We don’t like losing, but when you play with that kind of effort, it feels a little better.”

Russell finished with 11 points and four rebounds in the loss. Wilson and Hostetter each scored five points and grabbed six boards. Sophomore Payton Rhone scored five points, too.

The Tigerhawks made 17-of-44 from the floor. North Mahaska had a nine-point advantage at the foul line.

Three Warhawks scored in double figures, led by freshman Kassidi Steel’s 16 points. Freshman Jade Hay scored 13, freshman Cheyenne Shaw chipped in 11, freshman Emma Tyrrel scored nine and freshman Paige Layman added eight points.

It was the fourth straight win for North Mahaska.

Colfax-Mingo plays Grand View Christian at 6 p.m. Thursday in Ankeny. The Tigerhawks play HLV at 6 p.m. Friday in Victor.

North Mahaska 15-17-19-15 — 66

Colfax-Mingo 12-8-10-8 — 38

North Mahaska (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP) — Shaw 4-3-1-11, Layman 3/2-0-4-8, Hay 5/1-2-2-13, Steel 7/1-1-1-16, Chamberlain 0-0-1-0, McGriff 0-1-0-1, Stodghill 2/1-0-3-5, Tyrrel 3-3-0-9, Castaneda 1-1-0-3. Totals 27/5-11-12-66.

Colfax-Mingo (FG/3pt-FT-F-TP) — Underwood 0-0-1-0, Rhone 2/1-0-3-5, McConeghey 0-0-1-0, Russell 5/1-0-2-11, Brown 0-0-1-0, Tjaden 6-0-2-12. Wilson 2-1-4-5, Hostetter 2-1-0-5, Schlosser 0-0-3-0. Totals 17/2-2-17-38.