Bailey’s 31 leads Panthers over Monarchs

Creston (4-7, 2-1) dominated visiting Denison-Schleswig (2-7, 1-5) Friday, winning the Hawkeye 10 bout 65-32.

The win was capped with a career performance by junior Kadley Bailey who put up 31 points to lead scoring. Junior Ella Turner’s defensive play tied a school record as she captured 10 steals. Turner’s steals, 10 points and eight rebounds was good for a double-double and almost logged the program’s first triple double.

“I’ve coached girls basketball for 17 of my 24 years, and I don’t know a girl who has better anticipation than she does,” Creston coach Tony Neubauer said of Bailey. “She’s longer than her 5-7. We did a good job of finding her, and we did a good job of taking the game over.”

The dominant performance was slow to start, Denison-Schleswig leading the match 14-13 at the end of the first quarter.

“I didn’t like any of the first part,” Neubauer said. “The first quarter, we weren’t great in man and they were getting some easier looks than I wanted.”

The second quarter was what set the game apart as Creston outscored the Monarchs 21-5. Six different Panthers made buckets in that quarter. In addition to Bailey and Turner, Brynn Tussey put in a bucket while Hollynn Rieck, Ava Adamson and Jensan Tussey each scored from the free-throw line.

The defense continued its success in the third, holding Dension-Schleswig to three points. Led by Turner, the Panthers recovered 27 steals. Bailey logged six and Rieck had five.

“Our match-up zone just destroyed them,” Neubauer said. “I feel better when we can run multiple defense effect when we match up with what they are trying to do.”

A team small in stature, the Panthers are typically out-rebounded by their opponents. In this match, Creston logged 27 compared to 15 by the Monarchs.

Turner’s eight rebounds led on the boards with freshman Cora Smith snagging four off the bench.

In the final quarter, the Panthers were up 59-27 when they pulled starters. Hope Henderson and Smith were able to log varsity points during the final four minutes.

“It was a good win — a Hawkeye 10 win,” Neubauer said. “That was one of our goals. Last year we finished 1-9 in the Hawkeye 10; right now we are 2-1. It’s good to build off of.”

The Panthers sit at eighth out of 11 in the conference with Denison in 10th. St. Albert leads the conference as they are undefeated in H10 play.

Creston returns to action tonight at Red Oak (0-8, 0-3). Thursday they host Lewis Central (5-6, 4-1).

STATS

CRESTON (65) — Totals — (FG FT PTS) 22 19-33 65. Kadley Bailey 12 5-7 31, Hollynn Rieck 3 5-9 11, Ella Turner 3 4-6 10 Brynn Tussey 2 0-0 4, Jensan Tussey 1 2-4 4, Cora Smith 0 2-4 2, Ady Morrison 1 0-0 2, Hope Henderson 0 1-2 1. FG shooting — 22/55 (40 percent). 3-point goals — 2 (Bailey 2). Rebounds — 27 (Turner 8, Smith 4, Ava Adamson 3, B. Tussey 3, Braylee Pokorny 3, Morrison 2, Bailey 2, Rieck 1, Henderson 1). Assists — 17 (Rieck 9, Turner 3, Bailey 2, Adamson 2, Henderson 1). Steals — 27 (Turner 10, Bailey 6, Rieck 5, J. Tussey 3, Adamson 2, Henderson 1). Turnovers — 14. Team fouls — 21. Fouled out — None.

DENISON-SCHLESWIG (32) — Totals — (FG FT PTS) 3 2-6 32. Kamden Bruhn 1 0-0 3, Lauryn Turin 1 0-0 2, Mariah Carlson 1 0-0 2, Ann Wessel 0 1-2 1, Samantha Chandler 0 1-4 1. FG shooting — 3-25 (12 percent). 3-point goals — 1 (Bruhn 1). Steals — 4 (Lola Mendlik 2, Chandler 2). Rebounds — 15 (Bruhn 5, Chandler 4, Mendlik 3, Wessel 2). Turnovers — 26. Team fouls — 9. Fouled out — NA.