March 28, 2024

Baxter boys hold off North Tama

BAXTER — Rory Heer doesn’t have to score to impact the game for Baxter’s boys’ basketball team.

Heer is the Bolts’ spark plug and the team’s best defensive player.

But on Tuesday, Heer impacted the box a little more than normal and his 14 points and key free throws in the closing minute were a big reason Baxter held off a late North Tama rally.

The Bolts led by 11 at halftime and were up 14 points midway through the fourth quarter, but North Tama rallied to get within two with 44.2 seconds to play. Heer went 3-of-4 from the free-throw line from there to close out the 52-46 win for Baxter during Iowa Star Conference South Division play.

“The momentum shifted in the fourth quarter,” Baxter coach Zach Hasselbrink said. “I was proud of my guys. We haven’t been in that situation yet this year. The guys didn’t give in and grinded until the end.”

Heer finished with a season-high 14 points and three steals. Cole Damman tallied 17 points, four rebounds, five assists and four steals and Carter Nelsen collected 13 points and five rebounds.

It was the seventh straight win for the Bolts and the fifth straight loss for the Redhawks.

The Bolts (10-2 overall, 6-1 in conference play) jumped out to an 11-2 lead, but North Tama got within 14-13 and 19-18 in the second quarter. A 12-2 run that featured seven points from Damman, allowed the Bolts to take a 31-20 lead at the break.

The Redhawks (4-8, 3-4) scored the first seven points of the second half, but a Heer 3-pointer pushed the lead back to seven. A Nelsen 3-pointer extended the margin to 13 and Kael Johnston’s trey made it a 14-point game early in the fourth.

After Heer hit a jumper to put the Bolts up 48-34, North Tama used an 12-0 run to close the gap to two. Heer hit a pair of free throws with 44.2 seconds to play and then went 1-of-2 from the line with 8.5 seconds remaining.

“We work on free throws in practice every day and I have worked up my confidence level,” Heer said. “I wouldn’t have hit those last year. The nerves would have gotten the better of me. They are just free throws though. It’s free points.”

Hasselbrink wasn’t happy with the North Tama rally but knows a game like this can be a good thing for his squad.

“We shouldn’t have been in that situation. We missed a lot of bunnies inside that helped them. But a game like this is good for us, too.”

Cody Damman tallied five points and three assists for the Bolts, who went only six deep. The Bolts made only 39 percent of their shots and were 7-of-22 from 3-point range.

Heer scored 10 of his 14 points in the second half. Cole Damman put in 14 of his 18 in the first two quarters.

“(Rory) doesn’t always have the flashy stats that go in the paper, but he had 14 points today and those were big,” Hasselbrink said. “We like to celebrate him in games like this. His defense was incredible. He made them uncomfortable at the top of the offense.”

The Redhawks got 26 points and 14 rebounds from Ryan McLean. North Tama was 4-of-18 from long range and made 17-of-41 total.

Nicknamed the Energizer Bunny by his teammates and coaches, Heer made the offensive end of the floor tough on the Redhawks all night.

“Coach wants me right in their grill with high hands and slapping at the ball,” Heer said. “I try to make them as uncomfortable as possible. I want to force turnovers.”

Baxter plays conference leader Meskwaki Settlement School at 7:30 p.m. on Friday in Meskwaki Settlement.