Rams punch return ticket to state
About a quarter.
That’s how long in took Glenwood to turn a one-point deficit into a rout.
The Class 4A, No. 1 ranked Rams trailed 16-15 after the first quarter and exploded for 25 points in the second quarter to take a 16-point lead at the half that swelled to as many as 37 points in the second half in a 75-51 victory over Sergeant Bluff-Luton in the Class 4A, Region 1 finals in Glenwood tonight.
With the win, the No. 1 ranked Rams (19-2) punch their ticket to the Iowa State Basketball Tournament for the second year in a row.
“This was a little different game than we had Saturday night. Sergeant Bluff came to play,” said Glenwood coach Brian Rasmussen after the game. “I thought our girls handled the adversity of that first quarter really well, we played patient and poised, and we stuck with the game plan in the process. It turned out okay.”
The top seeded Rams will open state on Tuesday against Wahlert Dubuque (13-9) in the quarterfinals at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
In Monday’s regional finals, the Warriors – and guard Emma Salker – didn’t make it easy for the Rams to get off to one of their patented quick starts. Salker scored 11 of her team’s first 14 points attacking Glenwood’s defense as they took an early five-point lead. That lead shrank to 16-15 by the end of the quarter.
In the second frame, the two teams traded baskets before Glenwood heated up. A 10-2 run, keyed by three pointers from Madison Camden and Emma Hughes gave the Rams a 30-20 lead with four minutes to go in the half. By halftime, they led 40-24 and were in control.
Rasmussen thought his team’s nervous energy affected them early, but they calmed themselves down in the second quarter and started hitting shots.
“It’s funny how you see a couple shots go down and it becomes contagious,” Rasmussen said of his team and their season-high 14 three pointers. “Once they started going down, they became a cycle for everybody else.”
The Rams pushed their lead to 21 with just under five minutes to go in the third quarter. The Warriors would never get closer than 17 the rest of the way.
As he did in the semifinal win over Council Bluffs Lewis Central, Rasmussen mixed up his defenses between man and zone, full and half court pressure – but seemed to settle into an aggressive, 2-3 zone that continually confused the Warriors and slapped loose turnovers.
“We’re trying to mix things up and keep people on their toes and not let them get comfortable with anything. It’s worked out so far. The girls have bought into and they’re getting more comfortable.”
Stalker, who had 11 first quarter points, had just nine the rest of the way to lead the Warriors.
Elle Scarborough led four Rams in double figures with 19 points. Madison Camden added 18, Jenna Hopp 12 and Hughes 12.
After last year’s state semifinals loss to Council Bluffs Lewis Central, the Rams have spent the season atop the Class 4A rankings and enter state as the top seed. Rasmussen knows his team took last year’s loss to heart and it motivated them this year. The regional championship is just one of several goals they’re targeting.
“This was our next step in the process,” Rasmussen said of returning to Wells Fargo Arena. “We’ll regroup tomorrow and what lies ahead. We’re excited for next week. The shock of being there first time isn’t going to be there. We’ll be ready to go.”