GHV boys on a roll

The Garner-Hayfield/Ventura boys rolled through last week, picking up three more wins and moving their record to 8-2 in the North Iowa Conference and 9-2 overall.

GHV 64, Osage 55

Tuesday night’s game against Osage was anything but predictable for the GHV boys.  The Cardinals had easy sailing in the first half, but the Green Devils came back with a vengeance in the second half.

The Cards opened the game with some strong three-point shooting and jumped to an early 15-7 lead in the first quarter.

GHV was shooting lights out in the second quarter and collected 11 unanswered points for a 26-9 lead.  By halftime, the Cardinals were up 32-19.

Logan Ryerson opened the second half by connecting on a three-point shot, but Osage answered with one of their own.  The Green Devils closed the gap to within seven, 39-32.  The Cardinals ended the third quarter with a 12-point lead, 46-34.

Osage went on a 12-point scoring spree of their own to bring the game to a one-point ballgame, 51-50.  That was as close as the Green Devils got, as the Cards went on a scoring spree to close the game with a 64-55 victory.

“In the second half, we had trouble finding their shooters and stopping penetration,” said Coach Joe Albertson.

Sam Cataldo had a huge game for the Cardinals, going 3/3 from the three-point arc and collecting a total of 29 points.  He also grabbed 17 rebounds and blocked seven shots.

“We sure couldn’t have won this one without Sam,” said Albertson.  “He did a lot of everything.  He grabbed a bunch of rebounds, blocked shots, and changed shots on defense, and hit from inside and out.  It may have been his best all-around game of his career.”

Holden Hutcheson was perfect from the free throw line and ended the game with 10 points, two rebounds and two assists.

Collecting five points apiece was Turner Albertson, Harley Forry and Payton James.

Forry led the team in steals with five.  Albertson and Payton James led the team in assists with five each.

GHV, 59, Lake Mills 56

Friday night’s match-up against Lake Mills (6-2, 6-2) kept the Cardinal fans off their seats until the final buzzer.

The first half was close, with GHV creeping ahead very slowly to take a seven point lead into the half, 30-23.

“In the first half we did a decent job of contesting most shots and rebounding the ball.  We did a great job building a nice lead by getting the ball inside with the help of our bench,” said Coach Joe Albertson.  “Alex Stromer, Ben Baumgard, Payton James and Turner Albertson made some big plays and big shots.”

Logan Ryerson opened the second half with a basket to give the Cardinals the biggest lead of the game, 32-23.  The Bulldogs didn’t roll over.  They battled back and outscored the Cardinals 16-15 in the third period, 45-39.

The game got interesting in the fourth quarter.  Behind a pair of threes and another basket, Lake Mills took over the lead, 52-49.  Payton James sunk a three for the Cardinals to knot the score, 52-52, with 2:35 minutes left to play.  The Bulldogs took the lead again, 56-54, before Turner Albertson sunk a three-pointer with :44 on the clock, 57-56.  A turnover put the ball back into the Cardinal hands and Harley Forry sealed the deal with a final bucket and the victory, 59-56.

“At this point in our season, this was definitely our best win,” said Albertson.

Sam Cataldo led the team with 15 points and nine rebounds.  He also had two blocked shots.

Other scoring leaders included Turner Albertson, Holden Hutcheson, Payton James and Alex Stromer, who had eight points apiece.  Harley Forry, Jonathan O’Connor and Logan Ryerson all added four points each.

Forry led the team in assists with six, while James grabbed two steals.

GHV 74, Eagle Grove 49

After Friday night’s close contest, the Cardinals got a bit