Offensive struggles end Central girls basketball season in semifinals
Delaney Scherf makes a move in the Warriors’ win over Turkey Valley. She led the team with 16 points. (Photos by Bev Hamann)
Haley Frieden defends a Buccaneer player in Central’s 44-31 semifinal loss.
Grace Kuehl searches for an open Warrior teammate in last week's game at East Buc.
Strong defense—including from Ashlyn Scherf, Lexi Loan and Grace Kuehl—helped the Warriors beat Turkey Valley 49-40 in last week's quarterfinal game.
By Willis Patenaude, Times-Register
It was a short playoff run for the Central girls basketball team, who lost their Feb. 18 Class 1A - Region 4 semifinal at East Buchanan after scoring a season low for points.
The Warriors made it to that game by holding off a fierce Turkey Valley team in the quarterfinals, relying on defense in the fourth period to pull out the 49-40 victory.
“It came down to some fourth quarter adjustments on defense by our team switching from man to zone and not allowing offensive rebounds out of the zone defense. This was crucial for us to pull away in the last four minutes along with good free throw shooting,” said coach Mark Wiley.
The game itself was fairly even statistically, and was tied at halftime. The Warriors took a tenuous one-point lead into the third period before the defense took over.
Central shot 34 percent on field goal attempts, as well as 72.2 percent on free throws, which along with shooting 28.6 percent on three pointers, was the difference in the scoring. The Warriors made three more three-point shots and four more free throw attempts, aiding the defense in victory.
Delaney Scherf led the offense with 16 points, with Grace Kuehl close behind with 11. Ashlyn Scherf finished the game with nine points and Haley Frieden scored eight.
The offense also posted eight assists, with D. Scherf and Carly Kluesner each getting two.
The defense, which Wiley credited for the win, snagged 14 steals, 18 rebounds and two blocks, while also forcing 22 turnovers. D. Scherf had six of those steals and Kuehl four. Frieden and A. Scherf were responsible for both blocks.
Central’s next match-up was the semifinal against the Buccaneers, and the Warriors found themselves down by six points heading into the second period. Although they managed to out-score East Buchanan in the next quarter, they trailed by one point at halftime.
The second half was a different story, as the Warriors struggled to make baskets, going 2-10 in the third period and scoring just four points. The Buccaneers, meanwhile, extended their lead to 11.
The fourth period was closer, but by the Warriors simply ran out of clock, losing 44-31 and ending their season with an overall record of 19-5.
The struggling offense shot just 26.7 percent, making 12 of 45 shots and four of 16 three pointers, while being held to six free throw attempts.
The leading scorer was Frieden with 10, followed by A. Scherf with seven, D. Scherf with five and Lexi Loan with four.
The offense also totaled five assists, with Kuehl getting two.
On defense, the Warriors grabbed 23 rebounds, forced 13 turnovers, nabbed six steals, and got one block. A. Scherf had four of the steals and Frieden got the team’s only block.
On a positive note, the defense held the Buccaneers to 44 points, which was their fourth lowest total of the season and well below the season average of 58 points.
With the season over, it should be noted the 19 wins the Warriors achieved is the second most in school history. The second place finish in the Upper Iowa Conference is also the highest for the program since 1977. By these measures, Wiley considers the season a success.
“We had a lot of different players step up for each other due to injury or sickness. We started seven different starting lineups, but, nevertheless, found ways to win most of those games,” he said. “The biggest thing for our team was being able to play together during the summer some in 2021...It is necessary to have a collective effort with all invested in getting better. We have a great group of student-athletes and competing at a high level throughout the season was a top priority. You do this with committed student-athletes during the season, but also giving extra time in the offseason.”
While being able to play together over the summer eliminated a challenge from a year ago, the team was plagued by injuries and sickness down the stretch this season. Wiley credited the emergence of sophomores Gracie Cummer, A. Scherf and Kuehl as critical components in the team overcoming the challenge, as well as the resilience of the junior class, notably the continuing growth of D. Scherf and Frieden and the presence of Aly Feickert and Hannah Asche.
“Players continued to develop individually and this helped us as a team. We did improve in a lot of categories. We will continue to focus on our efficiency on the offensive end. Free throws are always important, especially getting to the free throw line. Against East Buchanan, we didn’t get to the free throw line enough,” Wiley said.
The team is expected to lose only one player next season, in senior Kaitlyn Wiley. While she didn’t light up the stat sheet, Wiley described her as a “great teammate…a reliable individual and played an important role in helping the team in whatever was needed. Kaitlyn has been the only female four-sport athlete from this senior class. This is a testament to her desire to be part of a team and take on whatever role is needed from the team.”
