The Bobcats’ four-game winning streak came to an end, moving to 4-5 overall and 3-1 in the Alliance North. Ames improved to 5-2 overall and 4-0 in league play.

Rogelio Ceren kicked off the scoring with a leaning lay-up, but Ames scored the next 16 points to go up 14 at the end of the first quarter.

“Ames took us out of our stuff, switching everything defensively and making it hard for us to reverse the ball and get the interactions we wanted to,” MHS head coach Michael Appel said. “At times we could have done a better job attacking, we were a little timid at first when we just needed a guy to get to the rim and initiate that offense.”

Carter Giannetto led the Bobcats with nine points, seven of which came in the second half. Ceren finished with six points.

T-R PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER - Marshalltown senior guard Carter Giannetto (1) attemps a 3-pointer over Ames defender Jack Wynter during Friday’s game. Giannetto led MHS with nine points in its 47.32 loss.

While the Bobcats’ clocked in under their defensive average going into Friday, the 32 points scored is a season-low, well under the 51 points per game averaged in their eight games in 2023. Leading scorer Kyle Smith was held to three points.

Jamison Poe scored 14 to lead the Little Cyclones, Jack Wynter added 12 points and Will Thomas had 11.

“We held their leading scorers under their averages, we just couldn’t put the ball in the hole,” Appel said. “But our effort, and how hard we played was great tonight, and I can’t say anything bad about that.”

Ames has won the last five meetings between the teams.

Appel is looking forward to Monday’s clash at Cedar Rapids Jefferson to kick off a three-game week with a road meeting at Des Moines Hoover on Tuesday followed by a home showdown with Waterloo East on Friday.

“It’ll be great to play on Monday to learn from our mistakes and move on, and be ready to erase this from our memory a little bit,” Appel said. “Three games where we can compete, play hard and get in a good offensive rhythm.”

Ames 49, Marshalltown 32

AMES (5-4, 4-0) — Jack Wynter 4 2-2 12, Jamison Poe 5 3-4 14, Will Thomas 5 0-0 11, Abram Vos 2 0-0 4, Marach Dau 2 0-0 4, Manny Lueth 2 0-2 4, Ravi Muhammad 0 0-0 0, Isaiah Knight 0 0-0 0, Garang Deng 0 0-0 0, Garang Kear 0 0-0 0, Cameron Strawhacker 0 0-0 0, Luke Brekke 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 20 5-8 49.

MARSHALLTOWN (4-5, 3-1) — Carter Giannetto 4 0-0 9, Treshaun Brooks 1 1-4 4, Kyle Smith 1 0-0 3, Cory Smith 1 2-2 4, Rogelio Ceren 2 1-2 6, Jacob Thiessen 1 0-0 3, Ryan Schmit 0 0-0 0, Gatleel Joar 1 0-0 3, LaMar Johnson 0 0-0 0, Tate Riang 0 0-0 0, Will Swartz 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 11 4-8 32.

AMES 16 13 10 10 — 49

MHS 2 11 11 8 — 32

3-Point Goals–Ames 4 (Wynter 2, Poe, Thomas), MHS 6 (Giannetto, Thiessen, Brooks, K. Smith, Ceren, Joar). Team Fouls–Ames 9, MHS 13. Fouled Out–none.