Glenwood opens season with victory over Thomas Jefferson

COUNCIL BLUFFS - The beginning was a lot sharper than the end, but the Glenwood girls basketball team earned a season-opening 53-45 victory over Council Bluffs Thomas Jefferson last Tuesday.

The Rams opened the game on a 10-0 run, held the Yellowjackets without a point for the game’s first six minutes and led by as many 28 in the first half before taking a 41-17 lead into halftime. The Rams’ Danika Lucy had 14 of her game-high 22 points in the first half to nearly out-score the Yellowjackets.

The second half was not as rosy for the Rams as Thomas Jefferson out-scored Glenwood 28-12 in the final two quarters.

“I was really proud of the girls in the first half,” said first-year Glenwood head coach Wendy Lausen. “I felt like we were moving the ball around and finding open players and then the second half we went away from that and weren’t playing as a team. I told the girls at halftime we need to play 32 minutes. I’m a little disappointed we didn’t do that but give T.J. credit. They played their hearts out.”

After a low-scoring third quarter that saw the two teams combine for 11 points, T.J. warmed up in the final frame. Josey Starner’s three point play trimmed the lead to below 20 points for the first time since early in the first quarter to make it 47-29 with 6:24 to go.

A three pointer by Anna Larson and another layup by Starner cut the lead to 53-39 with 2:56 remaining.

As Glenwood struggled to find its shooting touch, the Yellowjackets couldn’t seem to miss. Layups by Starner and Abby Hays made the score 53-43 with just over a minute to go. The Rams’ 10th turnover of the quarter on their ensuing possession led to another Starner layup and a 53-45 score with 47.7 to go.

The Rams would miss the front end of a pair of one-and-one’s to give the Yellowjackets life but a defensive stop and a rebound allowed Glenwood to dribble out the clock.

“This is good for us, I told the girls,” Lausen said. “It isn’t a pretty win but it’s a win. It’s going to be like this every night in the Hawkeye 10 so it was good for me, and hopefully its good for us.”

All night, ball security was an issue for the Rams, but especially in the second half when Glenwood turned it over 15 times with 10 alone coming in the final frame.

Lausen said she thought her team was prepared for the Yellowjackets’ pressure defense after practice most of the week against eight defenders to simulate their full court pressure.

“I told them this was T.J.’s style, they like to pressure,” Lausen said. “They force people to play a certain way. We need to keep practicing and preaching everyday the importance of taking care of the ball. We did a pretty good job in the first half but 15 (turnovers) in the second half is too many.”

The Rams were led by Lucy’s game-high 22 points but there was good balance in the stat line with Sidney Lucy adding nine, Myranda Starner and Emma Ringsdorf seven each and Molly Dean six.

“That’s what we want to see – we want to give up a good shot for a great shot,” Lausen said. “It doesn’t matter who is scoring. We’re all a part of this team. As long as Glenwood is winning, that’s what matters.”
Josey Starner led T.J. with nine points.