AGWSR girls knock Janesville from unbeaten ranks

ACKLEY – The state-ranked showdown ended in a one-sided showcase for the streaking AGWSR girls’ basketball team here Thursday.
 
The Cougars, eighth-ranked in Class 1A in Thursday’s new state poll, dismantled No. 7 Janesville, 53-32.
 
The battle of the unbeatens belonged to AGWSR as the hosts owned leads of 16-7 after one quarter, 33-13 at the half and 48-17 through three. The Cougars are a perfect 10-0 with the 21-point win and the Wildcats slipped to 8-1.
 
“We have been looking at this game for some time. We lost to them last season and it was the first of four losses we had in January. I really felt this was a must win game for us against at Class 1A opponent,” stated AGWSR coach Laurie Gann.
 
“We felt our schedule might prepare us better for this game and I think it definitely helped,” noted Gann.
 
A 19-2 scoring spree to end the first quarter and start the second was the knockout punch for the Cougars. Up 8-7, AGWSR scored 12 unanswered, including the final eight of the first period and had the cushion at 27-9 in the second as senior standout Mandy Willems landed two three-point goals.
J'ville 7 6 4 15 — 32
AGWSR 16 17 15 5 — 53
AGWSR–Ally Finger 1 0-0 2, Alyssa Hames 3 1-2 7, Mandy Willems 5 2-4 15, Tori Brandt 1 0-0 2, Aubrie Fisher 5 1-1 13, Taryan Barrick 2 0-0 4, MaKenna Kuper 1 2-3 4, Rachel Sicard 3 0-0 6. Totals 21-38 6-10 53.
3-pointers: A 5 (Willems 3, Fisher 2). Rebounds: A 35 (Hames 9, Sicard 7, Finger 6, Fisher 4, Barrick 4, Kuper 3, Willems 2). Assists: A 16 (Finger 4, Willems 4, Fisher 3, Kuper 3, Sicard 2). Steals: A 9 (Kuper 3, Fisher 2, Willems 2, Barrick). Blocks: A 3 (Sicard, Willems, Finger). Fouls: A 17. Fouled out: A (Barrick).
 
JANESVILLE BOYS 70, AGWSR 53: The visiting Wildcats answered the Cougars 15-6 spurt to open the fourth quarter with a 12-2 run to the buzzer, handing AGWSR a seventh loss in 10 games.
 
AGWSR’s 15-6 scoring spree featured five three-balls – three for Alex Hames around two by Jaden Penning, and sliced a 16-point deficit to 58-51.
 
Janesville uncorked the contest’s first run of 13-2 to build a 17-6 lead at the end of the first period; AGWSR took the second period 20-9 and closed on a 12-2 spurt to stand 26-all at the break. The third was all the Wildcats, going on runs of 12-2 to start the quarter and then 8-2 to close.
 
“Defensively, it was not a good night. We cannot give up 70 points and expect to win,” stated AGWSR coach Russ Banzhaf. “Offensively, we had our spells of good and bad. We are just not consistent.”
J'ville 17 9 26 18 — 70
AGWSR 6 20 10 17 — 53
AGWSR–Keon Huffman 2 0-0 6, Jaden Penning 2 0-0 6, Alex Hames 6 2-2 19, Alec Stahl 0 0-0 0, Luke Starr 6 2-2 15, Aaron Roelfs 1 1-2 3, Titan Opperman 0 0-0 0, Ethan Ubben 1 0-0 2, Sawyer Heitland 1 0-0 2. Totals 19-59 5-6 53.
3-pointers: A 10 (Hames 5, Penning 2, Huffman 2, Starr). Rebounds: A 24 (Hames 5, Starr 5, Stahl 4, Ubben 3, Huffman 2, Roelfs 2, Opperman 2, Heitland). Assists: A 12 (Stahl 4, Ubben 3, Huffman 2, three with 1). Steals: A 4 (Hames 2, Stahl, Penning). Blocks: A 4 (Heitland 2, Starr 2). Fouls: A 20.
 
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