Newton girls close Grinnell’s gap on Senior Night

The first time Newton’s girls’ basketball team played Grinnell, the Class 3A No. 8 Tigers cruised to a 45-point win.

The latest meeting, which was the Cardinals’ Senior Night, was a much better result.

Newton scored more than 40 points in a conference game for just the third time this season and reached double figures in each quarter but one during a 59-42 home loss on Thursday in the team’s final Little Hawkeye Conference contest.

“We played better. There were a lot of good things,” Newton head girls basketball coach Eric Vander Velden said. “We just struggled offensively in the third and gave up too many second-chance opportunities.”

Grinnell led 19-12 after one quarter and outscored the Cardinals 19-14. Newton was limited to five points in the third but played within 22-16 in the second half.

“The 26 points in the first half was really good,” Vander Velden said. “We shot 11-of-28 in that half but were only 4-of-22 in the second half.”

Sophia Reynolds led the Cardinals with 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists. She was 7-of-8 from the free-throw line.

Cadie Horn collected seven points, seven rebounds and two assists and added to her career blocks record with five more.

Horn, Emily Wermager and Audrey Rausch all were recognized before the game on their Senior Night.

Wermager finished with six rebounds, Alex Garvis and Haylie Ryan each scored five points and Ryan grabbed two boards. Hailey Dickerson and Evie Main scored three points apiece and Alex Riney pulled down two rebounds.

The Cardinals (3-18 overall, 1-13 in the LHC) shot 29.4 percent from the floor, made 4-of-22 from 3-point range and buried 8-of-11 from the free-throw line. Both teams turned the ball over 20 times.

Bailey Strovers posted a 10-point, 13-rebound double-double and Haidyn Hull and Kelsey Van Compernolle both scored 12 points.

The Tigers (16-5, 11-3) shot 34 percent from the floor, connected on 7-of-23 from 3 and hit 10-of-16 from the foul line. Grinnell out-rebounded Newton 43-33.

Newton opens 4A regional play against Knoxville at 7 p.m. on Wednesday in Knoxville. The Panthers (14-7) defeated the Cardinals 46-31 at Wells Fargo Arena earlier this month.