Okoboji came ten points shy of making it a two-win start to the season, as well as to the Siouxland Conference schedule Tuesday night, taking a 38-29 loss at Sioux Center. Faith Bartlett had a team-high ten points as the Pioneers struggled against the Warriors full-court press and trailed by 16 after the first quarter. Okoboji is now 1-1 on the year and head out of conference to battle rival Harris-Lake Park on Thursday. That game can be heard on KUOO Campus Radio.
The rest of the Siouxland saw Boyden-Hull earn a one-point decision over Sheldon 52-51, Central Lyon throttled Rock Valley 63-35, Sibley-Ocheyedan came up short against George-Little Rock in a 52-44 ballgame, and MOC-Floyd Valley took care of business with a 79-27 dismantling of West Lyon.
The girls of Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire suffered their first loss as a co-op program this winter, dropping a 65-50 decision in Cornbelt Conference play at West Bend-Mallard. G-T/R-A is now 2-1 on the season and hosts CWL on Friday.
A turnover laden ballgame between Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn and Clay Central-Everly went the way of the Hawks with a close, 40-38 non-conference victory. HMS, which committed 17 turnovers, was paced by Katie Mills’ ten points. Equaling her output was Heather Busch with ten points for the Mavericks, who turned the ball over 30 times. HMS improves to 1-1 and returns to the court Friday against Remsen-Union in the conference opener.
Click here for postgame interview with HMS coach Mark Japenga.
Elsewhere, Emmetsburg has a win to start the season, beating Pocahontas Area/Pomeroy-Palmer 38-28, Sioux Central split the doubleheader with Spencer, besting the Tigers by six, 40-34, and Sergeant Bluff-Luton won 65-40 against Cherokee.
North of the border, Jackson County Central moves to 3-0 with a 65-43 win at home over St. James. Martin County West notched a 22-point victory against Mountain Lake/Butterfield-Odin 64-42. and Fairmont provided little resistance to Marshall in a 70-39 loss.
