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Comets can’t catch Mustangs 64-36

Comets can't catch Mustangs 64-36
Press photo by John Burbridge
Charles City senior Ava Ellis (No. 22) challenges Independence senior Annie Johnson (No. 35) in the paint. Ellis and Johnson were their respective teams’ leading scorers during Monday’s non-conference game, which Independence won 64-36.

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

CHARLES CITY — Usually, it’s the wild horses you try to round up.

But during Monday’s non-conference girls basketball game at Comet Gym, it was waves of rotating teams of Independence Mustangs that rounded up the hosts with their full-court press while often using the court’s sidelines and baselines as fences to trap Charles City ball handers.

With Independence substituting four and five players at a time every two minutes or so to keep the stampede going at full horsepower, the Comets continued to have trouble breaching the timeline to set up their offense.

It took Charles City more than five minutes to finally get on the board when junior Madie Lensing split a pair of free-throw opportunities. But the Comets kept at it and eventually managed to break the ‘Stangs at times while eventually matching their top offensive output of the season.

Still, the Mustangs weren’t going to be caught in their  season-opener as they eventually won 64-36.

Independence had three players with double-figure scoring with senior post presence Annie Johnson leading the way with a game-high 18 points.

Mustang sophomore ball handling wizard Addison Lange scored 12 and also attained double-figures in assists with the recipients often being Johnson and Madyson Ristvedt, who scored 11 points.

Independence took a 15-3 after one quarter, but when Charles City senior Ava Ellis hit a pair of 3-point field goals along opposite sides of the baseline on consecutive possessions, it suddenly made it a game with the Comets cutting the lead to 6 (20-14) midway through the second quarter.

Charles City was still in the game at halftime (29-18), but when Mustangs busted loose to score the first 6 points of the second half, Independence regained its stride all the way to the finish line.

Ellis scored a season-high 17 points, which included the aforementioned 3-pointers and 7-of-10 shooting from the free-throw line, to lead the Comets (0-3), who will host Algona this Saturday as part of a girls-boys varsity doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. in Comet Gym.

INDEPENDENCE 64, CHARLES CITY 36

Scoring By Quarters

IND 15 14 17 18 — 64

CC 3 15 10 8 — 36

Individual Scoring

INDEPENDENCE — Arabella Louvar 3, Reaghan Ressler 2, Olivia Albert 6, Marleigh Louvar 4, Ellie Fangman 4, Addison Lange 12, Gracee Cornwell 4, Madyson Ristvedt 11, Annie Johnson 18.

CHARLES CITY — Madie Lensing 1, Lauren Staudt 3, Maggie Boss 4, Delaney Ruzicka 7, Ava Ellis 17, Alex Wohlers 3.

RECORDS — Charles City 0-3, Independence 1-0

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