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Bobcats overrun by No. 1 Johnston

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING - Marshalltown guard Rachel Smith, left, has her progress impeded by a Johnston defender during Tuesday’s CIML basketball game at the Roundhouse. The top-ranked Dragons defeated the Bobcats 66-13.

No game is an easy one for a youthful, inexperienced Marshalltown girls’ basketball team in the year 2021. Especially in the difficult CIML Iowa Conference.

But Tuesday night might just have been one of the toughest tests the Bobcats have faced yet — the No. 1-ranked team in class 5A.

The Johnston Dragons (11-0) put Marshalltown away early in the first half and coasted to a 66-13 win on the road against the Bobcats.

Coach Brian Murphy said the Bobcats found quite a few things to be encouraged by from the game despite the lopsided result.

“Our maturity is finally starting to show up on the offensive end,” Murphy said. “We’re getting more quality shots than we were at the beginning of the year. Now it’s a matter of getting consistent quality shots every possession.”

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING

The Bobcats struggled to score on a long Johnston defense, scoring four points in the first quarter and six in the first half. Lily Roberts led the team in scoring with five points, and Sophie Younkin had four. Murphy said it’s important that Marshalltown continue to be aggressive and attack the basket on the offensive end of the floor, despite the lack of free throw attempts in the first half from the Bobcats.

Johnston focuses its offense around Jada Gyamfi, and Murphy said the team set out to stop her at all costs. It led to open 3-pointers, but he said they executed the gameplan well on that end. Gyamfi scored 14 points.

The Bobcats are now 1-14 on the season, with the only win coming against Des Moines Hoover. Up next for the Bobcats is a home game against Ankeny Friday night.

Johnston 66, Marshalltown 13

JOHNSTON (11-0) — Zoey Buchan 2 0-0 4, Kinsey Jilek 4 0-0 11, Anna Gossling 0 0-0 0, Aili Tanke 3 0-0 6, Jada Gyamfi 6 1-2 14, Isabella Balsley 2 0-0 5, Ashley Faber 0 0-0 0, Macie Downing 1 0-0 2, Kayla Frickenstein 1 0-0 2, Aaliyah Riley 2 1-1 5, Molly Noelck 3 0-0 7, Natalie Kahre 1 1-1 3, Emma Hampton 1 0-0 2, Allie Hart 1 1-2 3, Jayce Blanchard 1 0-0 2. TOTALS 28 4-6 66.

T-R PHOTO BY NOAH ROHLFING

MARSHALLTOWN (1-14) — Rachel Smith 1 0-2 2, Lily Roberts 2 1-2 5, Sara Huffman 0 0-0 0, Sophie Younkin 2 0-1 4, Kaylin Smith 0 0-0 0, Zaielah Newman 1 0-0 2, Malena Kammerer 0 0-0 0, Amaya Moore 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 6 1-5 13.

JOHNSTON 20 24 9 13 — 66

MHS 4 2 3 4 — 13

3-Point Goals–Johnston 6 (Jilek 3, Balsley, Noelck, Gyamfi). Team Fouls–Jonston 9, MHS 10. Fouled out–none.

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