CL girls fall short despite great effort

   Although they played some of their best ball of the season, the Clear Lake girls came up short in a pair of conference games last week. The Lions are now 10-8 overall and 10-6 in the league.  They finish out the season at home.  After hosting Webster City Tuesday (Feb. 7), they will take on Humboldt Friday and Charles City Saturday.  Tournament play begins

Wednesday, Feb. 15, for the Lions.  They will meet Iowa Falls-Alden, a team they split with during the regular season, in the first round.  The game will be played at 7 p.m. in Clear Lake. 
H-D 48, CL 47
    Hampton-Dumont rushed out to a 12-4 lead and then held on for a one point, 48-47 victory Tuesday, Jan. 31.  The Lions outscored the Bulldogs in the second half, but could not overcome the slow start.
    “We knew going into the game it was going to be a tough match up for us.  Hampton is a big team that can rebound very well.  In the first half we were out rebounded, but in the second we did a much better job,” said Coach Bart Smith.  “I was pleased to see our girls continue to fight.  We had a chance to win, but came up short.”
    Senior Meg Monson was the leader on the scoreboard for the Lions.  She scored 22 points, had a pair of steals and three rebounds. 
    “Meg Monson is staying steady for us.  She did a nice job being patient in the zone.  We need other scorers to be more consistent if we want to be our best by the end of the year,” said Coach Smith.
    Madi Faber came off the bench and contributed nine points from three-pointers.  She also made a pair of assists and had three steals.
    “Madi Faber was our difference maker tonight,” added Smith. “She has worked hard at improving her footwork on her shot and it is starting to pay off.”
    Logan Anderson put in eight points for the Lions and Megan Loux had seven points and three rebounds.  Bailey Kibsgaard added one point and also pulled down three rebounds.
    Kristen Hewett contributed defensively, grabbing five rebounds and making two steals.  Trudy Peterson was also held scoreless, but made three rebounds, a pair of assists and two steals.
    With the win, Hampton moved its record to 9-8 in the league.

St. Ed’s 48, CL 46
    It wasn’t their best shooting night, but the Lions gave conference leader St. Ed’s all it could handle Friday night.  The Gaels survived a 48-46 scare to remain unbeaten (17-0) in the North Central Conference. They are 19-1 overall.
    “This was one of the best games I have been a part of.  I enjoyed watching our girls compete tonight,” said a proud Lions Coach, Bart Smith.  “Our girls continue to battle regardless of what happens to them in these close games.  We struggled shooting the ball tonight but the girls stayed positive and didn’t hang their heads.”
    It would have been easy to shut down.  The Lions scored just 14 points in the first half and went into the locker room at halftime down 26-14.
    Things began to turn in the second half, as the Lion defense continued to confuse the visitor.  They returned the defensive favor and held the Gaels to nine third quarter points.  They also outscored their opponent in the final frame, 17-13, but were left just short of the win.
    “We had great defense all night.  We just need to keep the -Read More Via e-Edition