The #12 (3A) Hampton-Dumont-CAL girls basketball team won their eighth game in a row in a defensive battle with Iowa Falls-Alden. The Bulldog boys ended a eight game losing streak rallying back to win in overtime over the Cadets. The H-D-CAL girls won 40-28 and the boys won 79-76 in overtime, as aired on 99 The Wave on Tuesday.
In the girls game, H-D-CAL set the tone of the first half with defensive intensity that pushed the Cadet offense out of rhythm. The Bulldogs held the Cadets to 11 points in the first half and took a 23-11 lead into the break. In the third, each team traded seven-point runs, and the Bulldogs led 30-18 heading into the fourth. H-D-CAL began the fourth with a nine-point run to extend their lead to 39-18, then IFA went on 10-1 from that point but was unable to get back within single digits.
H-D-CAL Head Coach Miranda Stafford on post play and conference road win.
“We’ve got to have balanced scoring and even if it’s six or eight here. Lily was able to extend and hit some mid-range jump shot. She’s got a really nice shot. I was happy to see that she extended out a little bit. Really versatile player. Charlee played hard on the defensive end and against a real good post that they’ve got. I was happy with the way our post played and I was happy with the way the guards found the posts in the inside,” says Stafford. “The intensity was there. Everybody’s wanting to win. To come in to Iowa Falls and get a win is always difficult. Anytime you can walk away, it’s a good thing. Anytime you can walk away with a conference win on the road it’s a better thing. We got one more we gotta get ready for.”
Lily Hambly had 11 points for the Bulldogs. Carlea Dagel had seven points for the Cadets.
In the boys game, IFA led 39-34 at the half, behind a 19-point first half by Kale Kalous. At the start of the fourth, IFA led 54-47. The Bulldogs started the fourth with an 11-3 run to take a 58-57 lead. The Bulldogs led 68-63 with 43.6 seconds left, the Cadets went on a 7-2 run and tied the game at 70 with a triple by Karsen Kalous with four seconds left to force overtime. With 45.6 left in overtime the game was tied at 76, Brady Harr knocked three free throws in time remaining to seal the win.
H-D-CAL Head Coach Brian Niesen on rallying back and play of Harr and Woods.
“That felt great. We needed that. Fun to go into a winning locker room. It had been a while. It was 70-70, end of regulation, and it was big shot after big shot, back and forth, back and forth. A great environment, a great high school basketball game. Happy our kids made one more play,” says Niesen. “Caden Woods and Brady Harr had monster nights, they both had 28 points, that speaks for itself there. I thought our guards made timely plays. We stayed the course. We went to the box and one. I liked how we were attacking their zone and the looks we were getting. I told the guys to just keep playing and keep fighting.”
IFA Head Coach Mike Holm on players stepping up to score alongside Kale Kalous.
“Kale had a really nice start tonight and was feeling pretty good early. They made some adjustments and kind of took him out of the game a little bit,” says Holm. “We got to count on our other guys to step up. Tonight I thought Karsen really stepped up and played well and Calvin’s really been playing well as of late and shooting the ball well. That’s the thing we have to recognize when they take our leading scorer out. We got to have other guys step up and tonight we did that.”
Caden Woods and Brady Harr each had 28 points for the Bulldogs. Kale Kalous had 26 points, including six triples and Karsen Kalous had 19 points for the Cadets.
The Hampton-Dumont-CAL girls (18-1,10-1 NCC) and the Bulldog boys (4-13, 4-7 NCC) will travel to South Hardin on Thursday, on 104.9 KLMJ. The Iowa Falls-Alden girls (9-10, 3-7 NCC) and the Cadet boys (8-10, 3-8 NCC) will host Humboldt on Friday.
H-D-CAL Girls Head Coach Miranda Stafford:
Iowa Falls-Alden Girls Head Coach Michael Collison:
H-D-CAL Boys Head Coach Brian Niesen:
Iowa Falls-Alden Boys Head Coach Mike Holm:
