The Week That Was: Notes From Around North-Central Iowa

As we approach a break in action here for the holiday season, teams continue to gain more and more confidence with each passing game and practice. Here is a look at some of the key games from around north-central Iowa this past week on the hardwood. <strong>Alta-Aurelia at Pocahontas Area</strong> The Indians have developed a strong program under the guidance of Robert Maske, capturing a pair of state titles and constantly finishing high in the Twin Lakes Conference standings. This year, Pocahontas Area features a pair of standout sophomore guards in [player_tooltip player_id="63031" first="Carly" last="Janssen"] and [player_tooltip player_id="127611" first="Akaysa" last="Duitscher"]. In a convincing win over Alta-Aurelia, 62-20, Janssen scored 20 points with 11 steals, fur assists and three rebounds. She sank 8 of 16 shots with Duitscher adding 19 points, five assists and three steals. Both are quick shooters who thrive in Maske’s pressure attack. The Indians force you to play from end-line to end-line and Janssen and Duitscher are the two that make that style click. <strong>St. Edmond at Hampton-Dumont/CAL</strong> Playing another ranked opponent, St. Edmond had its best performance to date. It wasn’t enough, as Hampton-Dumont/CAL prevailed, 63-48, behind [player_tooltip player_id="163329" first="Lauren" last="Meader"] and [player_tooltip player_id="129066" first="Avery" last="Hanson"]. Meader and Hanson combined to score 45 points in the win. For the Gaels, their inside presence with Leah Neverman and Kacey Kruthoff led the way. Neverman scored 15 and Kruthoff added 12. <strong>GTRA at South Central Calhoun</strong> The race in the Twin Lakes Conference is going to be a fun one, as South Central Calhoun is right there ready to contend with Newell-Fonda. The Titans posted a convincing 70-22 victory over GTRA this past Friday night. Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="127608" first="Riley" last="Batta"] continues to show incredible court awareness and skills. Batta scored 15 points with three steals and a pair of assists, making 5 of 7 shots from the field. [player_tooltip player_id="160565" first="Kylee" last="Schleisman"], another sophomore, added nine points, five steals and five assists. As a team, South Central Calhoun collected 24 steals and had 19 assists on 29 made baskets. <strong>Eagle Grove at Bishop Garrigan</strong> A night after knocking off top-ranked and defending state champion Newell-Fonda, Bishop Garrigan had no trouble with Eagle Grove, 60-10. [player_tooltip player_id="63019" first="Audi" last="Crooks"] and [player_tooltip player_id="63033" first="Molly" last="Joyce"] each scored 18, making 13 of a combined 26 shots from the field. Crooks had another double-double grabbing 11 rebounds and blocking five shots while Joyce added three steals and three assists. This Golden Bear team is a formidable one especially with senior [player_tooltip player_id="165010" first="Kaylyn" last="Meyers"] appearing to be 100 percent recovered from a knee injury suffered a few years back. Meyers, who has signed with Grand View, is quick and can finish at the rim.