Game Report: City High Slips by Rival Liberty

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Get 30% off your first billing cycle with code:&nbsp;howe30&nbsp;in the coupon code area</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>IOWA CITY, Iowa - </strong>I've really enjoyed covering high school basketball again this season. A lot of that has to do with mostly watching the Mississippi Valley Conference. The majority of the games have been hotly contested and down the wire.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>That was the case again Friday night at Little Hawk Arena. Class 5A No. 9 City High earned a hard-fought, 51-49 victory against No. 7 Liberty in front of a great crowd. It avenged an early-season loss against the Lightning.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1686292' first='Eve' last='Vitense'], who was excellent all night, scored a team-high 14 points, almost 10 more than her season average. The tally including a game-winning floater in the lane with 4.2 seconds remaining in regulation. She connected on four of six attempts from behind the three-point arc to fuel the outburst. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='832209' first='Hattie' last='Galloway'] added nine points in the victory, and senior [player_tooltip player_id='1500558' first='Thisbe' last='Lewis'] was clutch with eight on 4 of 4 shooting from the floor. [player_tooltip player_id='667953' first='Tessa' last='Driscoll'] and [player_tooltip player_id='833956' first='Kaitlin' last='Loria'] each added seven for City (16-4). </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>South Dakota pledge [player_tooltip player_id='837358' first='Natalie' last='Ramsey'] led all scorers with 17 points. [player_tooltip player_id='923937' first='Morgan' last='Bennett'] netted nine, and [player_tooltip player_id='1201885' first='Ava' last='Casey'] and [player_tooltip player_id='884400' first='Aubrey' last='Meyer'] each had seven for Liberty (13-6).</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thoughts and observations from the game: </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Vitense had been struggling with her shot coming into Friday's action but found the range early, which built confidence. Like most opponents, the defense was designed to slow down City's Big Three- Driscoll, Loria and Galloway - which opened up opportunities for their teammates. Vitense's looks were, for the most part, open, and she made the Lightning pay. Despite the recent slump, she's been an important part of the Little Hawks' success.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Galloway's point total doesn't begin to describe all of her contributions Friday (and most nights, for that matter). She is a deft passer from the high post, and City often runs its offense through her from that spot. Her ability to see open teammates, put it on the deck and drive, or knock down the elbow jumper stresses defenses mightily. She's also her team's top rebounder and defender. Galloway didn't stop Ramsey, but she slowed the Liberty star down, which was critical in the win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Driscoll has deferred to teammates more this season and leaned on her excellent play-making ability. The St. Thomas commitment's ball handling on Friday was important versus a little backcourt good at pressuring the ball. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Lewis played her most efficient game of the year. She sealed defenders on the low block and finished with both hands. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Bennett was really good for Liberty. The junior looked confident, played aggressively and delivered key baskets in critical spots. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-To Ramsey's credit, the senior did not force shots against a defense designed to slow her down. Galloway received help with double teams on the Lightning star, who moved the ball to open teammates. Ramsey also played strong defense. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Like Ramsey, [player_tooltip player_id='880907' first='Natalie' last='Schechinger'] was saddled with two fouls and was forced to sit for a lot of the second quarter. She responded with multiple tough drives and finishes at the rim. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>-Meyers, a freshman, is steadily improving this season. That's bad news for the rest of the MVC. Tall with long arms, she's skilled beyond her years.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->