Comet postseason run ends with loss to Van Meter

An impressive postseason run that included a pair of road upsets over BGM and South Hardin came to an end for the BCLUW girls on Friday night as the Comets fell 44-29 on a cold shooting night to 11th ranked Van Meter in the Class 2A Region 5 semifinal in what was the final game ever played at the soon-to-be former Van Meter High School gymnasium.
 
“There are nights where it just goes like tonight, and you lose on nights like that,” BCLUW coach Dave Lee said. “And when you’re in the tournament, the tragic thing is that your season ends.”
           
Although the Comets never really found a shooting stroke, they hung tight for most of the contest, especially in the early going. After falling behind 7-2 when Van Meter junior CJ Jones drained the first three-pointer of the night, senior Hannah Sams responded with a basket inside, and point guard Samantha Ubben drove to the basket to make it 7-6 about halfway through the opening frame. A Skylar Veldhouse triple tied the score at nine, but two free throws from Bulldog star Mackenzie Roberts gave Van Meter (22-2) an 11-9 lead at the first horn.
           
“Early on in the ballgame, we had as good of looks as we’ve had (in recent contests), but the ball just didn’t go in the hole,” Lee said. “If we get two or three shots to go, we’re ahead or even at the quarter.”
 
Read more in this week's Grundy Register.