Entering Week 3 of Game Time League, one of two winless teams will emerge with its first victory of the season.
Bethany Doolittle’s Comfort Care/Pelling squad will take on Brendan Unkrich’s McCurry’s/ Blendcard team, with both teams desperate to break into the win column.
“I think we need to take our time a little bit on offense,” incoming freshman Hannah Stewart of McCurry’s said. “I mean, we do want to get those transition buckets, but once we get in an offensive set, I think we need to kind of slow down a little bit.”
Doolittle’s squad will try to take advantage of Unkrich’s offensive struggles.
Her team has had its own problems putting up points, however. Last week, it scored just 65 in a loss. Although Doolittle poured in 26, the group has struggled to find a second person to her offensively.
Despite the early struggles, Truman State forward Courtney Strait appears confident the team is headed in the right direction.
“In the second game, I’d say we got our offense back a little bit,” she said. “The first game, we were having a bit of trouble scoring, but it’s just about having confidence in each other.”
The group’s real strength is on defense, setting the stage for what will likely be a low-scoring affair.
At 2-0, Randy Larson’s Marion Iron will battle Cullen/Joensy’s, led by Brian Joens, which stands at 1-1.
Larson’s squad looks like the team to beat in the early going. The team boasts a trio of dynamic and skilled scorers whose chemistry has been impossible for opponents to stop.
Iowa guard Whitney Jennings averages 31.5 points a game, with teammates Claire Till and Moran Lonning averaging 25.0 and 23.5, respectively.
Iowa’s Alexa Kastanek gives Joens a threat from the point, but last week, she shot just 0-of-9 from the 3 zone.
One matchup tonight features an immense wealth of young Iowa talent. When Vinton/Culver’s plays Beat the Bookstore/Westport, incoming Hawk Tania Davis will square off with Chase Coley and Carly Mohns.
Coley and Mohns will be sophomores next season for the Hawks, and they could see increased playing time followng the graduation of Doolittle.
Davis, a five-star recruit from Michigan, has led her team to a 2-0 start, and she dropped 34 points last week.
Unkrich coached Davis in Kay DiLeo’s absence for that game, and he lauded the youngster’s ability.
“I was floored to see how she ran the team and how much she understands the game — things you can’t teach,” Unkrich said. “She’s going to play next season, and she’s going to play well for Iowa.”
