Linn-Mar turnovers frequent and costly in loss to No. 2 Waterloo West

MARION — Chad Tompkins started to lean on a crutch, then backed off.

“We’re young,” he said, then changed his tone. “No, we can’t use that as an excuse any more.”

Class 5A second-ranked Waterloo West collected 18 steals, part of Linn-Mar’s 29-turnover total, in a 56-38 Mississippi Valley Conference girls’ basketball victory Tuesday night at Linn-Mar High School.

“We’ve got to learn how to handle the press better,” junior guard Zoe Kennedy said. “Their press is kind of unorthodox. We’ve just got to work at it.”

West (3-0, 2-0 MVC) pulled ahead for good in the second quarter, then pulled away in the third.

“We played with great energy in the first half, then we looked unaggressive in the third quarter,” said Tompkins, the Lions’ head coach.

The 15th-ranked Lions (3-1, 1-1) were the last Metro team to suffer defeat.

“We needed to play a good team like this to see where we were at,” Tompkins said.

They learned that they are still a ways away from the state’s elite, and West certainly fits in that category.

Juniors Halli Poock and Sahara Williams paced the Wahawks. Poock registered 20 points, five assists and eight steals. Williams tallied 23 points, eight rebounds and five steals.

Both picked up a second-quarter technical foul, when the Lions were still nipping at the Wahawks’ heels. But eventually and gradually, West pulled away.

Trailing 11-10 after a quarter, the Wahawks outscored the Lions by a 20-12 margin in the second period and took a seven-point lead into the locker room.

It was 44-28 after three quarters.

Ellie Daubenmier led Linn-Mar with 12 points. Kennedy posted 10 points and six rebounds.

Waterloo West 56, Linn-Mar 38

At Linn-Mar

WATERLOO WEST (56): Halli Poock 7-15 5-5 20, Charlotte Gettman 1-2 2-2 4, Sahara Williams 10-18 3-6 23, Sierra Moore 2-3 0-4 4, Brooklynn Smith 2-2 1-2 5, Jaide Domatob 0-0 0-1 0, TaNeesa Martin 0-0 0-0 0, Faith Howard 0-0 0-0 0, Isabell Lederman 0-1 0-0 0, Sydnie Wass 0-0 0-0 0, Aysha McGee 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-41 11-20 38.

LINN-MAR (38): Ellie Daubenmier 4-10 2-2 12, Tessa Casebolt 0-3 1-2 1, Taylor Brunson 2-7 1-1 7, Caelynn Obleton 1-4 1-2 3, Zoe Kennedy 3-6 2-2 10, Ella Grove 1-2 0-0 2, Sofia Bush 0-2 1-2 1, Meredith Koenen 0-0 0-0 0, Lauren Haefner 0-2 0-0 0, Carly Schrum 0-0 0-0 0, Alisa Friday 0-0 0-0 0, Brittney Comer 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 12-37 8-11 38.

Waterloo West 10 20 14 12 — 56

Linn-Mar 11 12 5 10 — 38

3-point goals: West 1-10 (Poock 1-4, Gettman 0-1, Williams 0-3, Moore 0-1, Lederman 0-1), Linn-Mar 6-21 (Daubenmier 2-6, Brunson 2-6, Obleton 0-1, Kennedy 2-5, Bush 0-1, Haefner 0-2). Team fouls: West 14, Linn-Mar 14. Fouled out: None. Technical fouls: Poock, Williams. Rebounds: West 22 (Williams 8), Linn-Mar 28 (Brunson 7). Assists: West 7 (Poock 5), Linn-Mar 8 (Kennedy, Koenen 2). Steals: West 18 (Poock 8), Linn-Mar 6 (Daubenmier 3). Turnovers: West 18, Linn-Mar 29.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com