0-22 TO 22-0, NOT IN THE CARDS

CLARINDA – The thought of a turn-around season from winless a year ago to going undefeated may have seemed improbable, but the thought of being undefeated was on the minds of the players and coaches as the Tigers girls’ basketball team played Clarinda, Saturday.

“It wasn’t so much the thought that we would go undefeated this year,” Red Oak Head Coach Shelley Becker said after the game. “It was the thought of when the streak might end that was in the back of our minds. That thought added that little bit of extra pressure. I was just surprised that it happened tonight.”

The Tigers fought through the usual rough-and-tumble contest between Red Oak and Clarinda, in a game which no team led by more than three until Clarinda took a 34-30 lead late in the fourth quarter, but were unable to stay unbeaten, losing 36-31.

The Cardinals had a well balanced attack with six players scoring compared to only three, Ingvild Skorpen (14 points), Gabrielle French (12 points), and Kaely Piller (five points), of the Tigers’ players.

The two teams were neck-and-neck the entire game, ending the first quarter with Clarinda having a slight 6-5 edge over the Tigers and hit a three-point bucket to end the half with a 14-12 lead.

The Tigers started the second half tying the score and even led 21-19 in the third quarter but could not keep their lead.

“We knew coming into this game that we needed to force (Laura Steinhauer) to her left because we knew they run almost everything to the right,” Becker said. “We failed to do that all night and played right into what they wanted to do.”

After pulling into the lead, 27-26 with 2:33 left in the game, the Tigers seemed to get a big break as Steinhauer, the Cardinals standout senior guard, fouled out on a mid-court charge call.

From that point, the game was decided at the free throw line as neither team made another field goal.

The Tigers made four of seven free throws in the final 2:33 as the Cardinals were eight of 12 ending the game at 34-31.

The Tigers’ streak ended at four consecutive wins, beating Fremont-Mills, St. Albert, Shenandoah, in their first three games, followed by a 49-27 win over Creston Friday night.

Up Next:

The Tigers attempt to get back to their winning ways as they host the Denison Monarchs Tuesday, followed by a trip to Lewis Central (Council Bluffs) Friday before going on winter break.

The Monarchs got off to a slow start, losing their first two games, but rebounded with a 41-34 win over Clarinda Friday.

Denison has been predicted to be a top team in the district this year.

“I think this will be a good test for us,” Becker said about the Tigers next week. “Maybe this win did come at the right time. We’ll be ready to go at home on Tuesday.”

The Lewis Central Titans have yet to lose a game as they now sit with Harlan and Kuemper Catholic atop the Hawkeye 10 with a 3-0 record.

Lewis Central won big over Shenandoah Friday, and will be coming off a Tuesday’s game against Clarinda.