Frankie Long

DES MOINES — Marshalltown junior center Frankie Long celebrated her 17th birthday with a 16-point, 15-rebound double-double in leading the Bobcat girls’ basketball team to a 52-38 triumph over Des Moines Lincoln on Tuesday night.

Long scored 13 of her game-high 16 points in the second half to help the Bobcats break open a two-point halftime lead by outscoring the Railsplitters 33-21 in the second half.

Amairra Johnson scored nine of her 14 points after halftime as well, helping Marshalltown improve to 2-0 with a win in its first road game of the season. Long and Johnson combined to score 14 of the Bobcats’ 19 fourth-quarter points to pull away.

“Overall I thought this was the most dominant offensive game that Frankie has had in her career,” said MHS head coach Brian Murphy. “Her patience and footwork paid off and was able to score sometimes through multiple defenders using good fundamental post work.”

Millie Heitmann had seven points, nine rebounds, five steals and four assists, while Jorja Janssen finished with six points, five rebounds, five steals and five assists. Morgan Hilderbrand chipped in six points off the bench, and Kinsley Bowie cashed in a 3-pointer for MHS.

“In the first half it was our defense that wound up being some of our best offense,” said Murphy. “Both Jorja and Amairra had multiple steals and transition scores to give us some easy offense early in the game. When we missed some bunnies at the rim, our offense started to get stagnant at the end of both quarters in the first half.”

Keonni Langford led Des Moines Lincoln (0-3) with 10 points, while Leiah Ochoa and Jumi Kayode added nine points apiece.

The Bobcats are back at home for games Thursday against Newton and Friday against Des Moines East.

Marshalltown 52, Des Moines Lincoln 38

MARSHALLTOWN (2-0) — Amairra Johnson 5 3-5 14, Kinsley Bowie 1 0-2 3, Millie Heitmann 2 3-6 7, Jorja Janssen 3 0-3 6, Frankie Long 5 6-11 16, Mallory Meyeraan 0 0-0 0, Morgan Hilderbrand 2 1-2 6. TOTALS 18 13-29 52.

DM LINCOLN (0-3) — Keonni Langford 3 2-2 10, Leiah Ochoa 3 0-0 9, Monique Stonehocker 1 1-2 4, Ella Foust 1 2-3 4, Jumi Koyode 3 3-4 9, Brielle O’Donnell 0 0-0 0, Ava Signs 1 0-0 2, Koreylyn Brown 0 0-3 0. TOTALS 12 8-14 38.

MHS 9 10 14 19 — 52

DM lincoln 6 11 8 13 — 38

3-Point Goals–MHS 3 (Johnson, Bowie, Hilderbrand), DML 6 (Ochoa 3, Langford 2, Stonehocker). Team Fouls–MHS 12, DML 22. Fouled Out–Foust, Kayode, Brown.