Kissell, Hammen heat up cold Saturday

KEOTA - Saturday morning saw a landscape covered in snow, but it didn't prevent the WACO Warriors from traveling to Keota for a 2 p.m. varsity girls nonconference basketball game, followed by varsity boys. It might have been cold outside but a couple of players heated up inside.

Ellah Kissell scored 23 points in the WACO girls 55-32 win and Luke Hammen tallied 25 in the Eagle boys 70-47 win.

Both games started similarly with Keota's girls leading 12-11 after a quarter and 22-21 at halftime.

Keota's boys led 12-6, then 26-21 at halftime, started the third with a 19-4 run and it was 50-28 starting the fourth.

The WACO girls (3-3) had an 18-4 advantage in the third quarter.

'We regrouped in the locker room and focused on our defense because we have been working on getting steals without reaching in,” Kissell said. 'I think it made a difference when we changed from a 2-3 zone to a 1-3-1 and really put pressure on the ball.”

Keota head coach Jeff Sprouse said the Eagles played about 4 minutes in the third quarter Saturday, which was an improvement from Friday when 'we didn't play any minutes.” Keota led 9-7 after the first and trailed 28-22 after the second quarter at South Iowa Cedar League opponent Iowa Valley, then lost the third, 13-2 and the game 56-31.

'We are young and still learning what it takes in varsity play,” Sprouse said. 'We will get there if we have to round those square edges off to make things fit in the round hole.”

Keota (1-3) seniors Bailey Sieren (two) and Sky Weber (seven) scored a combined nine points. Freshman Madison Scott and sophomore Taylor Garmon each connected on two 3-pointers and Garman added a 2-pointer. Junior Taylor Kindred scored eight and sophomore Nicole Clarahan hit a free throw.

Kissell is a sophomore but seniors scoring were Morgan Graber (10 points), Aubri Garnsey (eight), Molly McLaughlin (four), Lela Fort and Lindsey Roth (two each). Sophomores Grace Coble and Katie Leichty combined for six.

Kissell's 23 points isn't her career high. She went for 26 Dec. 13 last year in her fifth high school game, a 64-50 loss to Central Lee.

Hammen's best game last year was also 26 points.

'Luke has the ability to take over games when he gets hot, especially if they want to play at his pace,” said senior teammate Brady Duwa, who scored 11.

Keota head coach Dan Stout hadn't looked at any stats shortly after the game, but one stood out. 'Free throws, that's keeping free points off the board. I thought our press in the third quarter made a big difference.”

Hammen was a sharpshooter from deep but struggled at the line. He made his last four to finish 7-of-14.

'We were giving him a hard time, but it was rough for us,” Duwa said. The rest of the team was 9-of-20. 'I would expect we might be shooting a lot of free throws in practice. Maybe we can blame the weather and the drive from our game.” The Eagles defeated Iowa Valley (4-1) 56-32 Friday. Carson Sprouse had 22, Hammen 10 and Wyatt Sieren eight.

Saturday, Sieren had two points, Sprouse 14, then Sam Sieren and Bryce Greiner had five each as the seniors helped Keota stayed unbeaten at 5-0.

WACO, 1-4, was 6-of-8 from the line in the game with freshman Hunter Hughes the scoring leader at 13, sophomore Drew Diers added nine and sophomore Isaac Oswald eight.

'Keota has a great group of seniors and they played more composed, pressed and trapped us and that was really the difference,” WACO head boys coach Paul Kissell said. 'We are learning and getting better but it's a process we are going through.”

WACO is 1-4 and has three Super Conference foes, at Van Buren County Tuesday, host West Burlington Friday and at Winfield-Mount Union Saturday. The girls have the same foe Tuesday and Friday but play Notre Dame Saturday.

Keota hosts SICL foe Sigourney Tuesday, plays at nonconference Lone Tree Thursday and hosts a SICL game Friday with Lynnville-Sully. The girls do not play Lone Tree.