What happened after the first quarter was exactly what Marshalltown was trying to avoid. Three quarters of missed shots and frustrating offense led to the Bobcats falling 51-44 to the Roughriders and dropping to 9-6 on the season. This is the Bobcats’ fourth loss in the last five games.

Marshalltown led 10-4 after the first quarter thanks to six early points from Treshaun Brooks. Midway through the second the Roughriders took their first lead of the night, 13-12 — and for the rest of the first half the two teams huffed and puffed and largely failed to create scoring opportunities.

Trailing 17-16 after one half, the Bobcats were well in the game. They stayed in the game in the third quarter, briefly taking the lead 27-26 late in the third before giving up an and-one layup in the final seconds. Still, the game was up in the air heading into the fourth and final frame.

But while the Bobcats would remain within one or two possessions until the final minute, they weren’t able to tie the game or take the lead.

MHS head coach Micahel Appel lamented the missed shots and struggled the Bobcats had on the offensive end when it mattered.

“We couldn’t get anything going offensively, we missed a lot of open shots tonight where we were standing there, wide open, and couldn’t knock them down,” Appel said. “Still need to just be a little more aggressive at the rim sometimes, we don’t need to always settle.”

On multiple occasions in the fourth quarter, the Bobcats missed free throws and were punished on the next possession with a Roosevelt basket. Marshalltown went 5-of-11 from the stripe for the course of the game.

Dalen Huston (14 points in his return from injury) and Brooks (team-high 15 points) kept the Bobcats in striking distance, but as the minutes ticked down the Marshalltown perimeter defense began to show cracks.

Appel said the team made some mistakes in its defense as players got more fatigued.

“I think our guys get a little fatigued and we have to be a little smarter at times and understanding what they’re trying to do,” Appel said. “I felt like a couple times we were pressuring them way too far out there, and when they drive around us there’s nobody helpside before it’s too late, now they’re getting an and-one. That was a big play.”

Roosevelt found the basket, made its free throws and kept Marshalltown at an arm’s length while the Bobcats kept missing from 3-point range.

A Drake Kapayou three beat the buzzer, but it was little more than a consolation. Marshalltown’s next chance to break out of its offensive funk is Friday at Mason City.

Des Moines Roosevelt 51, Marshalltown 44

DM ROOSEVELT (10-6) — Sam King 2 1-2 5, Tae Jackson 6 5-5 17, Jayden Davison 1 4-4 6, George Williams 2 1-3 5, Levi Kimsey1 0-0 2, Brayden Page 1 2-2 5, Quintez Winfield 0 0-0 0, Remi Taylor 5 1-1 11. TOTALS 18 14-17 51.

MARSHALLTOWN (9-6) — Carter Giannetto 1 0-2 3, Treshaun Brooks 6 3-5 15, Brayden Weatherly 2 0-0 5, Drake Kapayou 2 0-0 5, Dalen Huston 5 2-4 14, Jaxson Eisenbarth 0 0-0 0, Rogelio Ceren 0 0-0 0, Kyle Smith 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 17 5-11 44.

DM ROOSEVELT 4 13 11 23 — 51

MHS 10 6 11 17 — 44

3-Point Goals–DM Roosevelt 1 (Page), MHS 5 (Huston 2, Giannetto, Weatherly, Kapayou). Total Fouls–DM Roosevelt 13, MHS 16. Fouled Out–none. Technical Foul–MHS bench.