Red Oak loses first game of season at MAC shootout

The Red Oak girls basketball team enters the holiday break winning six of their first seven games to start the season.

Red Oak lost their first game Friday evening against Belluevue East 64-50.

“They came out to play. We played hard,” Red Oak girls basketball coach Dan Martinez said. “They were there for the game. It was a contest.”

The Tigers played the game at the Mid-America Center as part of the Jennie Ed Sports Med MAC Shootout.

Red Oak stayed close with the Chieftains early, trailing by six at the end of the first quarter. By halftime, Bellevue East’s lead was 22-13.

“It was hard-nosed game like we anticipated,” Martinez said.

The Chieftains increased their lead in the third quarter, outscoring Red Oak 24-17. The Tigers fought back, but Bellevue East was able to stay ahead for the remainder of the game.

Red Oak played much of the game without starting forward Blake Bergren, who according to Martinez, injured her knee during the game. Bergren played a couple more possessions, Martinez said, but would be out for the rest of the game.

“We missed her scoring,” he said.

Bergren, a senior, has averaged 11.7 points per game in seven games this season.

Red Oak guard Sabrina Guerra also missed much of the game with an injury, Martinez said.

“She knocked her head a couple of times,” Martinez said about Guerra. “She had a rough one.”

Guerra is averaging 4.7 points per game with 14 steals and 12 assists in seven games this season.

Bellevue East, like Red Oak, had entered this game with an undefeated record. The Chieftains were ranked ninth in the early Class A Preseason Poll, released bythe Omaha World Herald, earlier this month.

It was the first time for Red Oak participating in the shootout. The Tigers were one of 30 teams participating in the three-day event.

Stats from the game weren’t available as of press time.

Red Oak 62, Clarinda 50

Red Oak marched into the Clarinda High School gymnasium Thursday evening and remained undefeated in Hawkeye 10 play, holding on to get the win.

“We knew they were going to be a lot more competition than what we’ve had in the past couple of games that we’ve had,” Guerra said after Thursday’s game.

The Red Oak offense struggled early as Clarinda was able to score points, taking a 10-6 lead with 3:55 remaining in the first quarter.

Red Oak got the lead down to 10-8 thanks to an inbounds steal and pass from Kate Walker to Grace Blomstedt for the lay-up.

Clarinda held on to the lead though, 14-10, after one quarter.

Walker closed the gap with four points in the first minute of the second quarter. The first came on a jumper with 7:33 left, the next came just 20 seconds later on a lay-up and one play, set up by an assist by Blake Bergren, giving Red Oak the 14-14 lead.

Walker helped pull the Tigers ahead during the quarter, sinking some baseline jumpers and assisting in a lay-up to Maranda Gowdy.

The guard then sank a three-pointer with 3:20 until halftime to give Red Oak a 26-19 lead. Walker had 14 points in the first half.

Clarinda tried to close the gap in the final minutes, but a Bergren three-pointer at the buzzer gave the Tigers a 34-25 lead heading into halftime.

Scoring was sparse early for the Tigers to start the second half.  A free throw by Hankins, as well as a three-pointer by Bergren gave Red Oak the 38-30 lead near the halfway point of the third quarter.

Clarinda tried to fight back, but Red Oak had the 47-34 lead entering the final period of play.

With both Walker and Blomstedt in foul trouble, Bergren made free throws and scored points down the stretch to keep Red Oak ahead for the remainder of the game. Bergren led the way for Red Oak with 18 points. The senior also had six assists and five rebounds.

Blomstedt was the next top scorer, recording 17 points with eight rebounds and a game-high seven blocks.

Walker meanwhile had 15 points and a team-high seven assists with four steals.

Guerra had five points, while recording three rebounds, two assists and two steals.

“I think it’s just the will to win, we all have that will,” Guerra said.

Hankins had three points, while Gowdy and Angela Mahoney each scored two.

Red Oak 57,  Denison-Schleswig 29

The Tigers started the week with a 57-29 win last Tuesday against Denison-Schleswig at home.

The difference in the game was the first quarter, when Red Oak outscored the Monarchs 24-9.

Red Oak controlled the pace for the remainder of the game.

Bergren led the way for Red Oak with 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting, including 2-for-4 from three-point range with five rebounds and five steals.

Blomstedt was a rebound shy of a double-double as she finished the game with 13 points and also had four blocks. Walker and Guerra each scored six points, while Bailey Hankins finished with five.

Red Oak’s next game won’t be until Jan. 3 when they take on the Glenwood Rams as part of a varsity doubleheader at home.