The Algona boys’ and girls’ basketball teams had a busy two weeks on the court. On Tuesday, January 18th, the Dogs traveled to Clear Lake for a Conference game against the Lions. The girls battled hard against a really good Clear Lake team but fell short. A’Lailah Perry led the Bulldogs with 8 points, followed by Tora Solbach with 4. Lauren McLaughlin, Ava Henry, Casey VanOtterloo, and Najolie Price all chipped in points for the Dogs.
The boys also battled very hard but dropped a tough one 57-75. The Dogs were down by nearly 20 at halftime but came out in the second half a new team and eventually cut the Clear Lake lead to 9. The Lions pulled away down the stretch and came out with a 18 point victory. Tyler Manske had 18 points, while Garrett Goche and Caden Weber both had 11. Alex Manske, Simon Feucht, Jackson Cecil, Tristin Larsen, Ben Helmers, and Landon Welp all chipped in to round out the scoring.
Algona had Wednesday off before traveling to Pocahontas for a non-Conference battle with the Indians on Thursday, January 20th. The girls lost a hard fought battle 64-50. A’Lailah Perry led the Dogs with 19 points. Casey VanOtterloo had a nice game, adding in 11 points, while Lauren McLaughlin had 6. Tora Solbach, Lillian Etherington, Paige Schmitt, and Cailey Carroll all contributed to the point total.
The Algona boys got down early but were able to climb back into it and pull away in overtime for a 82-71 victory. Simon Feucht led all scorers with 18, while Tyler Manske added in 17. Garrett Goche scored 13, as Landon Welp chipped in 11. Freshman Ben Helmers and Alex Manske scored 7 points each, while Jackson Cecil, Caden Weber, and Tristin Larsen all came up with some clutch buckets to finish the scoring.
The Dogs had another quick turnaround, as Iowa Falls came to town to close out the week on Friday, January 21st. The girls bounced back with a 44-29 victory. Great defense and balanced scoring were key components in the win. A’Lailah Perry led the Dogs with 12, while Maddie Hilbert added in 11. Lillian Etherington had 6, while Tora Solbach, Lauren McLaughlin, Casey VanOtterloo, Najolie Price, and Paige Schmitt rounded out the scoring for the Dogs.
The Algona boys came up with a huge Conference win in a close contest, 58-55. Garrett Goche had a huge game with 23 points. Tristin Larsen scored 8, while Tyler Manske, Caden Weber, and Simon Feucht all chipped in 5. Ben Helmers, Jackson Cecil, Landon Welp, and Alex Manske all came up with critical points in the close victory. Jackson Cecil said, “We came out and played together. Everyone was following the game plan and doing everything possible to get the win.”
On Tuesday, January 25th, Humboldt came to town for a Conference showdown. The girls came up with a huge win, 48-38.
The boys were up for a battle against a tough, one loss Humboldt squad. The Dogs worked hard but came up short, 49-67.
While the Algona boys are done for the week, the girls travel to Webster City on Friday, January 28th.
The girls then turn around to head to Iowa Falls on Saturday, January 29th, for a make up game.
The boys’ and girls’ basketball teams’ next games are on Tuesday, February 1st, as they travel to Clarion for a big Conference game.