Cardinals earn post-season recognition; Tusha named NIC Player of the Year

The 2013-14 basketball season was a successful one for the Garner-Hayfield/Ventura girls basketball team.  The team finished as conference champions with a 13-1 record.  Individual players were recently rewarded for their hard work by earning post-season recognition for the North Iowa Conference.

Senior Maddie Tusha and junior Emily Spilman earned First Team recognition, while senior Shelby Rayhons was named to the Second Team and junior Mackenzie Haag earned Honorable Mention recognition.

Tusha ended her impressive high school career by being named North Iowa Conference Player of the Year.  Tusha led the way for GHV in every stat and she led the NIC league in steals with 105.  Tusha averaged 10 points a game and collected 221 points for the season.  She had 69 assists, which was second overall in the conference.  She also finished with 12 blocks and 124 rebounds.

“I think it is a great honor for Maddie to be named Player of the Year,” said Coach Matt Erpelding.  “The fact she was chosen for the honor shows the importance of being an all around player and leader on both ends of the court.  It was great to see other coaches in the conference understand how unique it is to have a player like her in the conference.”

Spilman, who plays guard for the Cardinals, was a consistent scorer averaging nine points per game.  She ended the season with a total of 199 points.  She also collected 54 assists, 51 steals and 67 rebounds.

Rayhons led the North Iowa Conference in field goal percentage at 56.1 percent while averaging seven points per game.  She ended the season with 154 points.  She had 67 rebounds for the season and 19 steals.

Haag was a consistent player on both ends of the floor, collecting 111 - Read More Via e-Edition