The #14 (2A) West Fork girls basketball team remained competitive, but fell short of #5 (2A) Central Lyon, ending their season with a 69-53 loss in Wednesday’s 2A Region 6 final at Estherville Lincoln Central, as aired on 104.9 KLMJ.
In a battle of contrasting styles, the Warhawks kept pace throughout the majority of the game, using their speed and athleticism to counteract the size and slower tempo of the Lions. West Fork remained within striking distance, but costly turnovers led to Central Lyon points on numerous occasions. Central Lyon led by as many as 16 in the second half, but in the final three minutes, West Fork trimmed the deficit to three points with clutch buckets by Leah Weaver down the stretch. The Lions led 56-53 and scored the game’s final 13 points, advancing to their fourth consecutive state tournament.
“Maybe if we didn’t give them that big lead, we might have been able to have enough gas in the end,” West Fork coach Rodney Huber says. “We wear on you. We come at you in waves, and we have this belief that eventually, the dam is going to break. Things just go our way, most of the time they do, and credit to Central Lyon for mentally and physically being able to withstand that, because a lot of teams can’t. They kind of fold under the pressure there. We got it to three. They made big plays. They’ve made it to state four times in a row for a reason. And yeah, just speechless about my team’s performance and how they were able to hang with that team.”
Weaver led with 23 points. Central Lyon’s Aubrey Metzger scored 24, and the team shot a crisp 62 percent.
West Fork’s season ends at 20-4. Central Lyon (19-4) will compete in next week’s state tournament.
Rodney Huber interview:
