Warrior girls stifle IMS

When the going got tough offensively for the WACO girls? basketball team, the Warriors? defense got going on Friday night.

WACO was held to six points in the third quarter of their contest against Iowa Mennonite, but the Warrior defense made sure IMS didn?t get back in the game, holding them scoreless through the third and halfway through the fourth quarter.

That performance helped propel WACO to a 34-20 victory.

?For us we are able to get on the outside easier and we can get on people for rebounding,? WACO junior Halle Kissell said. ?We shut down the middle pretty well.?

Kissell led the team with 15 points on the night, but did most of her damage in the first half, scoring 13 points despite picking up three first-half fouls.

Foul trouble was an issue for IMS as their top inside presence, Jess Bender, had to sit after picking up two first-quarter fouls.

?They need to learn how to play with fouls and Halle has to do the same thing,? WACO head coach Shannon Rugg said. ?For as young as we are, we need her in there. She did a good job of keeping herself out of foul trouble and not putting herself in position for that fourth foul.?

Kissell scored 11 of the Warriors? first 12 points in the contest, as WACO jumped out to a 12-9 lead in the second quarter. The Warriors then started to put on the clamps defensively, outscoring IMS 9-2 the rest of the period before a halftime buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Suzanna Yoder brought IMS within nine at the break.

The Warriors continued the strong defense in the second half, holding IMS scoreless for nearly 12 minutes, as they built up a 32-14 lead, behind the play of freshman Clara Schmidt, who scored 10 points after Kissell?s third foul.

?She?s shooting the ball well and rebounds well too,? Kissell said. ?Once the game slows down mentally, she?ll get there, but she definitely can handle herself. She isn?t afraid to shoot either, so that?s good.?

Schmidt?s play is something Rugg has become used to early in the season, but he said they are still trying to find out who will be among the key contributors this year.

?We are looking at everyone,? Rugg said. ?(Clara has) done a good job and been our most consistent player so far this year. She?s still making mistakes and fighting through them, and we are all playing extremely hard.?

IMS was able to put up six points in the fourth quarter, but it was too little, too late as WACO picked up the victory.

WACO continued its season on Saturday, and picked up a 36-35 victory against New London.

The Warriors will take on Louisa-Muscatine on the road on Tuesday, while IMS will face New London at home on the same night.