Game Report: Central DeWitt VS CCA

Central DeWitt packed the gym last night as they invited in the CCA Clippers in a heavy weight battle with the winner getting a bid for the State Tournament in Des Moines next week. The Sabers started this thing off HOT but the Clippers didn't fold. When I walked in the first quarter, it was standing room only and everyone in that gym was standing, cheering their hearts out for their squad. When the first quarter came to a close, both teams made good head way as it was a 4 point contest but that's when the Sabers turned it on in the second. The Sabers put their foot on the gas, winning the second quarter by 10 points, 17-10. This gave the home team a 14 point lead at the half, 37-23. In the third, the Clippers didn't back down though. They fought and kept things interesting. They ran offense well, stayed consistent on the boards on both ends, and they ended up finishing the quarter down 10 moving into the fourth. With about 3 minutes left, it was still an 8 point game but CCA just couldn't crack that mark. They fought but the Sabers edged out the Clippers for the rest of the contest, 76-63.   Below we discuss some of the best players of the evening for both programs. Each individual had an impact for their team in a positive way and that showed out over most other things.   Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!    [player_tooltip player_id='311388' first='Lauren' last='Walker'] demonstrated last night as to why she is a Division-1 committed athlete. Walker, a 5'9 PG, is someone that lets her game do the talking out on the floor. In last night contest she finished with a game-high 34+ points on a limited number of shot attempts, while playing the game the right way. She never seemed to force a shot throughout the contest, instead she just made open looks, wherever they might present themselves. Looking back on the contest, Walker didn't really make a bad choice in general. She led her team by example and it was never really close after the 1st quarter because of that. Whenever the Sabers needed an important play made down the stretch on either end, it was usually Walker stepping up to make things happen and that was impressive to see first hand.     Someone that I owe an apology to from CCA, that put together a game to remember in this one as a whole is SG, [player_tooltip player_id='782232' first='Lena' last='Evans']. Evans was spectacular in this battle. She played sound and stout defense on everyone that was put in front of her, she led her team both at the PG position and at the SG position - depending what was needed in certain moments, and she stayed consistently aggressive on both ends. Offensively, Evans displayed her nasty crossover and her ability to score at all three levels. Whether that be at the hoop, in the mid-range, or from behind the arc. In one moment, she was even splitting double teams, getting into the teeth of the defense, and finishing through contact with a crafty layup. A move that I was not expecting but was thoroughly impressed by. It'll be interesting to see Evans journey continue to unfold. If she continues to compete like she did last night, she is going to have a lot of recruiters in contact come this AAU season.     For most teams to get to State, they need to have multiple prospects that have some sort of "higher" talent level or coordination. It's usually not just one player doing all the work, even though it might seem that way. In this case, a prospect that compliments [player_tooltip player_id='311388' first='Lauren' last='Walker'] really well, while being a bucket in her own right is CG, [player_tooltip player_id='598490' first='Ava' last='Putman']. Putman has decent size, a better than average athletic ability, great instincts on and off of the ball, a willingness to be one of the first on the floor for a loose ball, and like everyone else on this Sabers team - she plays the game the proper way. I can't say that enough. As it pertains to her individual offense, Putman killed it last night by making accurate passes for assists, she hit open jump shots from deep all game long, and she moved really well when she was off of the basketball. There were multiple times throughout this contest where Putman made a play that had the entire gym on their feet with cheers. The Central Dewitt journey is not over. If they want to have some more success on the State floor next week, Putman will have to continue to be someone that this team can look too.     [player_tooltip player_id='1204735' first='Landre' last='Ruggeberg'] is another Central Dewitt Saber prospect that is going to play a vital role in her team's success moving forward. Ruggeberg, a 5'6 PG/SG, is someone that floats around the guard position and more-so, around the perimeter. In this battle with how well the other guards around her were playing, Ruggeberg was more of a SG than anything else, hitting three's in transition and making strong driving plays while going toward the rim within their half-court offense. She finished the contest with over 12 points, making her mark throughout each half of play. She also worked extremely hard on defense, keeping her opponent to a limited number of shot attempts and overall made buckets. If the Sabers want to keep winning, it's all hands on deck and Ruggeberg could be a major part of that.     You can't mention CCA without mentioning [player_tooltip player_id='509225' first='Averie' last='Lower'] and what she can bring to the table. Lower is one of the state's best SG and she did everything she could last night to try and Will her team to a victory. You can credit Lower not having the best game to the defensive game plan of Central DeWitt. Every time Lower passed the ball in the half court, she was swarmed to follow so that she couldn't get the ball back. At times having 2 or even 3 people guarding her in denial. When she did touch it again, she was exhausted from having to move around so much and I think that played a factor in the grand scheme of things. In reality, Lower is still one of the best 2026's that the state of Iowa has to offer. One performance doesn't define you. I'm sure she knows that, will learn from this experience, and she will come out better on the other side. This Spring/Summer she is joining up with one of the nations best known AAU programs in North Tartan. I'm sure that she is going to join that program hungry and motivated.

Central DeWitt packed the gym last night as they invited in the CCA Clippers in a heavy weight battle with the winner getting a bid for the State Tournament in Des Moines next week. The Sabers started this thing off HOT but the Clippers didn't fold. When I walked in the first quarter, it was standing room only and everyone in that gym was standing, cheering their hearts out for their squad. When the first quarter came to a close, both teams made good head way as it was a 4 point contest but that's when the Sabers turned it on in the second. The Sabers put their foot on the gas, winning the second quarter by 10 points, 17-10. This gave the home team a 14 point lead at the half, 37-23. In the third, the Clippers didn't back down though. They fought and kept things interesting. They ran offense well, stayed consistent on the boards on both ends, and they ended up finishing the quarter down 10 moving into the fourth. With about 3 minutes left, it was still an 8 point game but CCA just couldn't crack that mark. They fought but the Sabers edged out the Clippers for the rest of the contest, 76-63.