Tigers tamed by Notre Dame

NEW LONDON - The New London basketball teams couldn't hold home court against Southeast Iowa Super Conference South Division rival Notre Dame on Tuesday night. The Tiger boys couldn't hang on to a second-half lead, falling 70-36. The girls team was upended by the 11th-ranked Nikes, 70-36.

New London trailed 12-8 after one quarter and the game was tied up 26-26 at the halftime break.

The Tiger boys leaned on their freshman stars all game long, but especially in the first half. Kade Benjamin had 13 points in the first two quarters and Blaise Porter added 11.

The two teams split the third quarter 19-19, sending the game into the final quarter all tied up at 45-45. Notre Dame hit big shots down the stretch and capitalized on a couple defensive miscues to build a nine-point lead midway through the period.

Porter hit two-straight step-back 3-pointers, even drawing a foul on one to help the Tigers get back in it. New London had the Nike lead down to three on a couple different occasions, but Notre Dame hit the big shots when they needed them, including a dagger three from Matt Johnson that stretched the lead back to six points in the final minute.

'I felt like they wanted the loose balls more than we did,” Tiger coach Bryant Porter said. 'They were a little bit scrappier toward the end, and they got the extra shots down low. We had a couple of breakdowns defensively late, just a few things that we've got to clean up.”

Porter dropped 14 points in the fourth quarter and finished with 30. Benjamin scored 20. Grant Swanson had eight, and Jax Boyer finished with five.

The New London girls made a few shots early in the game and led for the majority of the first quarter. Notre Dame, however, outscored the Tigers 18-5 in the second quarter to lead 32-15 at the half.

Notre Dame made 3-pointer after 3-pointer in the third quarter, which ignited a 27-point period, one that put the game away.

'That's what killed us in the second half,” New London coach Chad Wahls said. 'They hit three 3s in a row, and itw as like the air was out of us.”

Notre Dame moved to 15-1 with the win and ever closer to a South Division title. Wahls spoke to the challenge of containing the Nikes.

'Notre Dame has got the mentality and the system where they're just going to wear on you and wear on you and wear on you,” Wahls says.

Marah Hartrick scored 12 points in the loss. Ashlyn McSorley had 11. Layney Loyd went for seven points and 11 rebounds. Kara Krieger had three points and two assists, and Addie Pry scored two points.

The New London boys are now 10-5. The girls are 5-12.