When things are going right for a basketball team you ride the wave. That was the case Friday when Iowa Valley (3-8, 3-5) came to North Mahaska’s gym. Twelve first quarter turnovers allowed North Mahaska to shoot out to a 16-11 lead, but the run began and No. 9 in Class 2A North Mahaska (10-1, 8-0) posted a 75-33 victory.
“Our defense got us going and then our shots were going in,” said NM coach L.E. Moore. “It was truly a team effort.”
Three Warhawks were in double figures on the night. North Mahaska held a 16-5 lead then Iowa Valley’s Myla Frimml dropped in a pair of baskets and Lola Frimml added another to cut the lead to 16-11 at the end of one quarter.
RD Keep/North Mahaska Communications
North Mahaska’s Peyton Sanders (in white) battles Brooklyn Kilgard of Iowa Valley for a ball in the first half of North Mahaska’s 75-33 victory.
North Mahaska’s juniors Sydney Andersen, Breckyn Schilling, Regan Grewe and Kayla Readshaw lifted the Warhawks to a 30-11 lead before Lydia Kriegel’s basket midway through the quarter broke the drought. As if things weren’t going well for the Tigers, Schilling’s Caitlin Clark imitation logo 3-pointer with a second left on the clock, gave NM a 48-22 lead.
North Mahaska has held almost every team they have faced this season with at least one quarter of single-digit scoring. For Iowa Valley it was the third when Kriegel hit a free throw a minute into the half for their only point. The Tigers would not score again until the beginning of the final frame.
North Mahaska forced 34 turnovers while recording nine of their own. The Warhawks shot 40.5 percent from the floor hitting 28-of-69 shots. Iowa Valley shot 32 percent and hit 4-of-7 from the foul line. NM hit just 9-of-21 from the charity stripe.
North Mahaska had some impressive line scores. Schilling led with 20 points, eight rebounds, six steals and six assists while Grewe was credited with 18 points, six rebounds, eight steals, a blocked shot and three assists.
Andersen finished with 10 points, two steals and a blocked shot. Reserve Peyton Sanders scored seven points.
Readshaw finished with six points, seven steals and three assists. Nataliya Linder added six points and three steals.
Kriegel led Iowa Valley with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Lola Frimml scored 10 points with five rebounds.
The No. 9 Warhawks will host Keota Tuesday before heading to English Valleys on Friday.