Mustang Girls Down South Holt for Third Place

 North Nodaway’s girls won their second straight last week, beating South Holt 43-22 to take third place at the Fairfax Tournament. The Mustangs had lost by four to Nodaway-Holt, but had gotten back on the winning track against Osborn. Thursday’s game was a makeup game from the week before. The game wasn’t easy despite the score; North Nodaway got off to a strong start against a rapidly improving team in South Holt, which had beaten the Trojans earlier this year. They then had to overcome 15 offensive boards and 18 turnovers along with some foul trouble to hold off the Knights in the second half.

As the snakebit Knights could not score in the first quarter, North Nodaway slowly pulled away despite South Holt’s trapping zone. Keagan O’Riley hit Kristin Herndon on the right side for three, and Kandace Damgar added another to make it 6-0. Kristin Herndon drove down the left baseline and scored after getting a pass from Keagan, Herndon struck again, and then Saylor Brown tipped an errant pass to Keagan O’Riley, who scored at the buzzer to make it 12-0.

Ashley Thompson worked the boards for four points in the second quarter to make it 16-0 before Rayleigh Guyer broke the ice with a free throw for the Knights. Sharpshooter Chloee Prussman hit a 3-pointer to cut it to 18-4, but then Saylor Brown hit Audrey Trimble on the right side, Kristin Herndon added a steal and a drive, and Jadon Dobbins scored off a pass from Herndon before Lynden Prussman got all alone for South Holt to cut it to 24-6 at the half.

Ashley Thompson, Audrey Trimble, and Keagan O’Riley all scored on putbacks to push North Nodaway’s lead up to 30-10, but then foul trouble hurt the Mustangs during the latter part of the third quarter as Kandace Damgar picked up her third foul and Ashley Thompson picked up her third and fourth fouls in succession. Knights’ post player Grace Cotton scored twice and then Rachel Ottman hit from the baseline as South Holt threatened to make a game of it going into the fourth, down only 30-16.

But then Kristin Herndon got a putback and a backdoor look to restore order for North Nodaway and make it 34-16. Chloee Prussman scored from three and connected again after Kandace Damgar hit for North Nodaway to make it 36-21, but then Kristin Herndon hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key after a pass from Keagan O’Riley to make it 39-21. Cotton struck from inside again for South Holt, but Saylor Brown found Audrey Trimble all alone underneath the basket and then Jadon Dobbins scored three down the stretch as North Nodaway pulled away for the victory.

Kristin Herndon had 16 to lead North Nodaway. Ashley Thompson had 8, Audrey Trimble 6, Kandace Damgar and Jadon Dobbins 5, and Keagan O’Riley 4.

Kristin Herndon and Ashley Thompson had 2 blocks for the Mustangs. Kandace Damgar had 1.

Ashley Thompson, Saylor Brown, and Kristin Herndon all had 7 boards for North Nodaway. Kandace Damgar had 6, Audrey Trimble 5, Keagan O’Riley 4, and Katie Bloomquist, Jadon Dobbins, and Emma Hart had 1.

Keagan O’Riley had 3 assists along with Saylor Brown. Audrey Trimble and Kandace Damgar had 2, and Kristin Herndon, Emma Hart, and Alonna Cross had 1.

Kristin Herndon had 8 tips for North Nodaway. Audrey Trimble had 6, Kandace Damgar 5, Keagan O’Riley 3, Emma Hart 2, and Saylor Brown and Jadon Dobbins had 1.

Kristin Herndon and Keagan O’Riley had 5 steals. Kandace Damgar had 3, Audrey Trimble 2, and Ashley Thompson 1.

For the girls, Kristin Herndon made the All-Tournament Team. Cody Wood made it for the boys.