Rams tip off state with win
Glenwood used its depth to overcome early foul trouble and patience on offense to shoot 61 percent to overwhelm Dubuque Wahlert 79-57 in the Class 4A quarterfinals at the Iowa State Girls Basketball Tournament today at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
The Rams had three regulars whistled for three early fouls and two others pick up two in a physical, sometimes rugged first half but they still managed to take an 11 point lead into intermission. That lead was nearly doubled by the end of the third quarter as the top seeded Rams opened the second half on 13-5 run and cruised into Thursday’s 6 p.m. semifinals against North Scott.
The win didn’t go how Glenwood coach Brian Rasmussen drew it up – neither the margin of victory nor his team’s propensity to pick up fouls – but he can’t argue with the result.
“We wanted to weather their storm, play with patience and play with poise,” Rasmussen said after the game. “We knew our game plan and we stuck with that for four quarters. We knew if we did that and didn’t get too excited, we could come out on the right side.”
It took some doing, but Glenwood got on the right side of the scoreboard midway through the second quarter and closed the first half on a 4-0 run to take 40-29 at the break. This despite starters Elle Scarborough and Jenna Hopp and key sub Emma Hughes all picking up three fouls.
To open the third quarter, however, foul trouble again struck when Hopp, the Rams’ second leading scorer, picked up her fourth foul.
But the Rams didn’t miss a beat.
They rattled off six straight points as part of a 13-5 run and led 58-41 with 1:14 to go in the frame. That lead swelled to 69-48 on Abby Hughes’ layup with just under five minutes to go in the game.
The Rams have made a habit of making big runs to pull away from teams this season. That third quarter was a perfect example.
“It’s kind of been our M.O. for the season, getting runs and stretches of back-to-back-to-back buckets and I thought we did a nice job of that today,” Rasmussen said. “We talked about, ‘We need one of our runs right now. We need defensive stops and back-to-back buckets.’ And it seemed to just magnify from there.”
The Rams foul trouble did change the game plan, somewhat. Rasmussen had to back off on his pressure and it showed in his team’s aggressiveness, he said. But the foul trouble did allow him to showcase something he’s said about this team all year.
“I feel like we have one of the deepest teams in our class and that showed today,” he said. “It’s a ‘Who’s up next?’ They have that feeling that they’re always ready to go. We had a lot of kids that can certainly step up. Brynlee (Arnold) really stepped up. This was probably her best game of the season. She came in and really helped on the glass.”
The Rams’ bench out-scored the Golden Eagles 27 to 8. Leading that reserve charge was Emma Hughes. The senior guard hit 4-of-6 shots, including 3-of-4 from behind the arc, for 13 points.
“She’s one of the best shooters on our team,” Rasmussen said. “We have a lot of good shooters on this team but she’s probably the last one I’d want to play in a game of H.O.R.S.E. You know if she’s open she’s going to knock it down.”
The Golden Eagles were determined to not let the Rams get out and run – they finished with just two fast break points – and to use their zone to try and force jump shots. But Glenwood didn’t bite. They attempted just 12 three-pointers, making five, and instead got the ball inside where they out-scored Wahlert 40 to 22 in the paint.
“That’s not been necessarily something we’ve done this year. But it’s different players, making plays in different spots and that’s what worked tonight. We rode that and we were patient on the offensive end. I think we had to many turnovers but for the most part, we did a good job taking care of the ball.”
In all, six Rams scored at least nine points, led by Abby Hughes’ 15 points. Emma Hughes added 13 and Coryl Matheny and Madison Camden chipped in 11 each. Scarborough and Arnold each added nine.
Defensively, mixing man-to-man and 2-3 matchup zone, Rasmussen didn’t think his team played its best game but they were good when it counted. They limited Wahlert to 32.2 percent shooting – 19-of-59 – including just 6-of-23 from behind the arc.
“I thought our defensive intensity was good to start the game and then we stepped back a bit when we got what I thought were some tight calls,” the coach said. “I felt like we lost some of that aggression and they were getting to the basket a little too easy. But I’m still proud of our defensive effort. We had enough stops out there gives us something to build off of.”
Wahlert’s leading scorer, sophomore post-player Emma Donovan was held to just three points before fouling out. Ana Chandlee led Wahlert with 17 points.
Now the Rams find themselves back in the state semifinals, facing two-time defending champion North Scott (16-2). The No. 5 seeded Lancers defeated Central DeWitt 59-45 in the quarterfinals.
A year ago, the Rams were in the exact same position and were sent home after a crushing 62-51 loss to Council Bluffs Lewis Central in the semifinals. This year, Rasmussen said, his team feels more prepared heading into the semifinals.
“This is something we’ve talked about since the end of last season,” he said. “From the time that final horn blew we were already talking about this year. We’re prepared for this moment and they’re ready to take the next step. We’ll see how far we can go.”