Balanced Scoring Attack Helps Rams Edge Lewis Central In Overtime


Glenwood’s Danika Arnold passes the ball to a teammate.

Glenwood’s Molly Williams shoots around the outstretched arms of Brooke Larsen.

Glenwood and visiting Council Bluffs Lewis Central needed overtime last Tuesday to determine the winner in a back-and-forth contest between Hawkeye 10 Conference rivals.

Jenna Hopp’s 14-foot running jumper with 6.1 seconds left in the overtime period was the decisive basket as the Rams pulled out a 69-68 victory in their final game before the holiday break.

“It was a game certainly filled with emotion, ups and downs, good basketball plays and big shots and not so good basketball,” Glenwood coach Brian Rasmussen said. “It’s awesome beating a good team that’s a conference rival. Regardless of where the teams are at, Glenwood and Lewis Central is going to be a big game and it certainly matched up to that.”

The game was a series of scoring runs. Lewis Central darted out to a 19-9 lead in the first quarter but the Rams responded in the second quarter to take a 32-29 lead at intermission.

The Rams increased their lead to 10 points midway through the third quarter but a 9-0 run by the Titans trimmed Glenwood’s advantage to 43-42 heading into the final period.

Three-point baskets by Neyla Nanfito and Kate Hughes ignited a 10-0 Glenwood run to start the fourth quarter but the Titans weren’t finished. They finished regulation on a 20-9 run to tie the score and send the game into overtime.

Hopp’s game-winning bucket came after the Titans had taken a one-point lead at the free throw line. Hopp’s basket sent the Glenwood crowd into a frenzy.

Lewis Central did have a last chance to win the game after Hopp’s basket but the Rams forced the Titans into a long three-point shot that failed to fall.

“We decided not to press but we certainly didn’t want them to roll the ball down to half court,” Rasmussen said of the Rams’ defensive strategy for Lewis Central’s final possession. “I would say it was more token pressure than anything – trying to stay between them and the basket and not allow them to get a good shot or get going down hill to where they could get to the hoop in a hurry. If they were going to get it done, they were going to get it done from 30 feet from the basket and not a lay-up.”

Hopp’s heroics came as no surprise to Rasmussen, but he also noted the importance of the other contributors in the Ram lineup.

“She’s a big difference. Big time players make big time plays,” Rasmussen said. “But, the fact that we had a balanced attack was the difference. We know a lot of people are going to focus on Jenna every night and the fact that we kind of had some balanced scoring and had a few girls in double digits making some big shots. That just opens things up and makes us that much more tough when it’s not all on one player’s shoulders to get the job done, at least from a scoring standpoint.”

The Rams finished the night with a 44 percent shooting percentage overall and 45 percent from behind the three-point arc (9-of-20). Hopp scored a game-high 24 points, while Hughes and Nanfito finished the night with 13 and 11 points respectively. Hopp also pulled down 22 rebounds and had four assists. Danika Arnold and Lauren Hughes also tallied four assists.

With the win, Glenwood improved to 6-2 while Lewis Central saw its record fall to 6-3.

“It was an exciting match and we certainly feel a little better going into the second half of the season,” Rasmussen said.

The Rams’ won’t play a game again until a Jan. 6 against Shenandoah.

 

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