Three-pointers provide difference for Lady Savages

The Lady Savages rolled through their seventh straight win by beating Eddyville-Blakesburg Fremont on February 1. The 72-43 win was also their seventh straight victory by more than 20 points and 14th on the season.

Sigourney got off to a slow start, which has been the case in some of their past few games. The defense couldn’t find consistent footing and the offense couldn't quite find their rhythm. The Lady Savages knocked down a couple threes in the opening quarter and found some success scoring in transition. The visiting Lady Rockets mainly found their scoring by getting behind the Sigourney defense while cutting towards the hoop. After the first quarter concluded, Sigourney was down 14-16.

“Defensively we weren’t ready to start, getting beat on the back door passes and out-rebounded,” Lady Savages coach Zach Tremmel said. “The second quarter we blew it open by only allowing them to score four points.”

That deficit didn't last long though, as Leah Carter found her range from behind the arc. After missing her first few opportunities in the first quarter, Carter was able to knock down three in a row as Sigourney looked to get the ball in her hands. The outside shooting allowed some of the interior players to work themselves free around the basket, which then resulted in more points. Sigourney also locked down more on defense, getting some steals along the way. Going into the half, the Lady Savages had taken control 36-20.

The third quarter was more about attacking the basket, especially in transition. Some more threes and free throws continued to add on to the ever-growing lead for Sigourney. The combined pressure of the defense of the Lady Savages and the growing deficit for the visitors led to many possessions with no points for Eddyville.

“You could tell they were getting tired and that we were the more strong and physical team,” Tremmel said. “The girls noticed that on their own, and that’s smart basketball. They got the ball where it needed to be.”

More of the same happened in the final quarter of play, as Sigourney scored at will. The bigger posts for Sigourney established themselves and were able to score on the worn-down Eddyville defense. Midway through the quarter, the subs were brought into the game for the Lady Savages. Though they gave up some points on the defensive end, they continued to score on offense. Quick ball movement would allow for someone to get open, whether it be behind the arc or in the post, and they would look to score from there.

In total, the Lady Savages knocked down 10 threes, which nearly equaled the winning margin of 72-43. Carter hit four, Autum Barthelman hit three and Summer Barthelman hit one. Coming off the bench, Stacia Hammes and Sidney Morse also made one deep ball apiece.

“I think that we’re playing loose and having fun and the girls want to continue this as long as they can,” Tremmel said. “They’re moving and sharing the ball and getting the open looks. It’s a fun brand of basketball to play.”

Autum had a team-high 22 points, also converting on all three of her free throw opportunities. She also had four assists, three steals and two rebounds. Carter and Brooke Waechter had 12 points apiece and combined for 10 rebounds, six steals and five assists. The other two starters, Megan Stuhr and Summer, finished with nine points between them. They also had eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Makenna Hammes and Kaylee Weber totaled 13 points, eight rebounds, one assist and one steal as the primary girls in the post. Morse and Stacia had the final six points for the Lady Savages, with Stacia also logging five steals in her limited time on the floor.

“We have to continue to have fun and the defense will be there every night, but we can’t get down on ourselves if we miss shots,” Tremmel said. “We just need to play hard and have fun.”

The Lady Savages wrapped up their regular season against Albia on February 5, before getting a first-round bye in districts.