Closing out the regular season with three straight home wins, the Clifton-Clyde girls basketball team moved to 16-8 on the year before entering the postseason, in which they are the sub-state hosts.
Versus Axtell, Cifton-Clyde (CC) won 56-45.
Axtell snagged the early momentum, going on a 5-0 opening and keeping CC off the board for three minutes, until a Paige Joy three got them on the board. Both teams would go back and forth on the offensive end, but a late Axtell jumper gave them an 11-9 lead after one quarter.
Clifton-Clyde took the lead 12-11 to start the second quarter. The quarter eventually became a defensive battle, as neither team could get a good shot up, but a 5-0 spurt by Axtell gave them the lead 20-16 entering halftime.
Whereas the second quarter was a defensive battle, the third quarter opened with an offensive battle with eight points scored in the first 90 seconds of the third quarter, with the game tied at 22. A Wurtz three would give CC the lead back, while the defense kept Axtell off the board to take a 29-22 lead. CC would close the quarter 9-8, as a late Axtell three made it a 38- 33 CC lead entering the fourth quarter.
Clifton-Clyde was able to push their lead to nine to open the fourth quarter, and a Wurtz jumper with 2:39 left in the quarter gave the Eagles a 50-39 lead. Able to utilize the lead, CC was able to coast their way down the stretch and take the 56-45 victory.
Sevy Wurtz led in scoring with 31 points, 11 rebounds and three assists.
Paige Joy had 13 points and four rebounds.
Eden Close had four points, four rebounds and two assists.
Calyn Baker had three points, five rebounds, five assists and a steal.
Versus number four-ranked Linn, the Eagles won 57-46.
The Eagles got out to a nice start, taking a 5-0 lead on a pair of Sevy Wurtz free throws and a three, but Linn recovered to take a 6-5 lead. Both teams would exchange baskets. With the game tied at 11, a pair of Paige Joy free throws gave the Eagles a 13-11 lead after one quarter.
After a pair of Linn free throws to open the second quarter, Clifton-Clyde went on a 16-0 run for over five minutes of game time, before Linn scored again to make it 29-15. A Linn free throw and a Jayla Robbins layup later, the Eagles led 31-16 entering the locker rooms.
The Bulldogs would start to pick back up on the offensive end, but the Eagles’ offense never slowed down, leading 40-21 halfway through the third quarter. A Linn layup with three seconds left made it a 4-4 stretch for the final four minutes, as Clifton-Clyde led 44-25 entering the fourth quarter.
A 10-2 fourth-quarter opening by Linn put the pressure on the Eagles, but a layup by Ellie Wurtz would break the run and make it a 48-35 game. Another 10-2 run made it a 50-45 game with two minutes to go. Forced to foul the Eagles, who’d ice the game at the free throw line, the Eagles won 57-46.
Sevy Wurtz led in scoring with 28 points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists.
Paige Joy had 15 points, nine rebounds and two blocks.
Ellie Wurtz had four points, six rebounds and two steals.
