Game Report: Iowa City - Liberty At Southeast Polk

Last night Iowa City-Liberty went to Southeast Polk and came out victorious in the first game of the season for both parties. This contest was back and fourth all night long. It started off with the Rams taking an early lead into the second quarter 13-12 but that's when the Lightning took over while gaining some momentum moving into halftime. In the second half, the Rams came out and stuck with the Lightning, showing their resilience and consistency across all positions as they kept it within 4-5 points. In the end, the Lighting pulled ahead in the fourth and never looks back to finish out the game 67-63.   In this article we highlight six of the players that stepped up, giving their team a must needed boost to compete at a high level.   Thanks for tuning in and enjoy!    It was obvious to everyone paying attention that [player_tooltip player_id='837358' first='Natalie' last='Ramsey'] was going to be Liberty's main producer on both ends of the floor this season. Well she proved that right from the tip off tonight in her team's first contest of the Winter. Ramsey started things off quickly. She scored the team's first 7 of 9 points while grabbing several rebounds in the process. She started off by hitting a few mid-range jumpers from the midrange at the free throw line and then she added to that with a three off the catch on the Wing. From there, it never slowed up for Ramsey. She played a majority of the game and was their hooper doing it all in reality. She kept making play after big play and that was crucial to secure the victory in the end.     I thought that [player_tooltip player_id='1440552' first='Yasanna' last='Love Smith'] played a competitive contest for her first game of Varsity basketball in this one. Love Smith is a fast reacting PG with good vision, a thorough handle, natural instincts, and a great feel for the PG position overall. She understands when to do what in different situations and that showed throughout the evening. Love Smith also demonstrated that she can score the rock when need be with a jumper or she can get into the lane for a little floater over the defense. This is someone that is going to be really good over her career if she keeps on working on her craft. She definitely showed a lot of promise tonight and it was noteworthy.     [player_tooltip player_id='884400' first='Aubrey' last='Meyer'] saw her first minutes on the Varsity floor last night and she held her own from the Forward position. Meyer is someone that we have talked about for awhile now so I'm glad to see that she is making her mark early on in her career with the Lighting. When the final buzzer sounded Meyer finished with right around 6 Points & 6 Rebounds. This is an avid effort from someone coming into a lineup with mainly upperclassmen producers. Plus with their team only winning by a slim margin, each of these points and rebounds made a difference in securing a win. I think over the rest of the season that Meyer will slowly gain more and more minutes per contest. She possesses a lot of promising ability for her age and position so to build on that with confidence early on is crucial to her development individually and within their lineup.     [player_tooltip player_id='1224381' first='Elyse' last='Bartels'] of Southeast Polk was a surprising producer in this one. I would expect that we are going to hear the name [player_tooltip player_id='1224381' first='Elyse' last='Bartels'] several more times throughout her high school basketball career. Bartels is a 6'2 C/PF with good footwork, a soft touch on the ball, coordination, and some muscle mass to pair along with her height. Bartels had a few big plays throughout this one. She was taking up space in the middle of the lane, making it her own and doing whatever she could to stop Liberty from consistently rebounding off of missed shot attempts on both ends. She also had a momentum changing AND1 bucket in the second half, which helped bring her team closer as time dwindled down in the fourth. When the Rams have their other big back in Hallie Vander Werdt in the future, these two are going to be a problem to stop together. Especially if Bartels continues to get better with time/experience on the floor.     [player_tooltip player_id='1440282' first='Brynlie' last='Walker'] gave the Liberty a much needed spark tonight against the Rams at the guard position. Walker might not be the tallest prospect but she is tough. She makes smart plays, she is willing to sacrifice her body to get to the line to hit free throws, and she is selfless as a passer when others become open. Walker kept getting fouled and going to the line, while being someone that was strong with the ball when it was in her possession on the floor tonight. If Liberty wants to make some waves to the State Tournament this Winter they are going to need their guards to step up like this at a consistent rate. They have several of them so I'm sure it shouldn't be too hard to find someone who is willing to be that girl to help out Ramsey.     Southeast Polk has some respectable guard play this Winter from the looks of it. Someone that kept getting their name called for one reason or another last night was their CG - [player_tooltip player_id='880927' first='Brooklyn' last='Ruddy']. Ruddy is someone with a crafty dribble, a good sense of how to attack her defender offensively, while being able to jump to the ball defensively at a higher rate than most. In this contest Ruddy knocked down a three pointer or two, she got to the hoop at a consistent rate, and she worked hard defensively as a disruptor. When Southeast Polk has success this Winter, I'm sure Ruddy will too. She showed some glimpses of a solid foundation in this contest and she should be able to build on that moving forward.

Last night Iowa City-Liberty went to Southeast Polk and came out victorious in the first game of the season for both parties. This contest was back and fourth all night long. It started off with the Rams taking an early lead into the second quarter 13-12 but that's when the Lightning took over while gaining some momentum moving into halftime. In the second half, the Rams came out and stuck with the Lightning, showing their resilience and consistency across all positions as they kept it within 4-5 points. In the end, the Lighting pulled ahead in the fourth and never looks back to finish out the game 67-63.