Comet girls defeat Bearcats 46-30 for 1st win of the season

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

GREENE — The Charles City Comets girls basketball team roared back from a 12-point halftime deficit to out score North Butler 18-1 in the third quarter and 34-6 for the entire second half on way to recording its first win of the season in a 46-30 final on Thursday

For the Comets (1-14), it broke a winless streak that extended all the way through last season where they didn’t win a single game.

The Comets’ offensive output against the Bearcats (4-13) was their second highest of the season, 1 point less from their 77-47 loss to Saint Ansgar on Jan. 2. But their second-half point total (34) is by far their season’s best.

“We have been playing good in stretches at various parts during the season,” said Comet co-coach Rusty Rogotzke, who with former Comet standout player David Rottinghaus took over the program just before the start of the season to fill a void at head coach. “When we added a little more defensive intensity in the second half, we finally were able to put together a good half of basketball.”

Comet senior Ava Ellis led all scorers with 18 points while matching a personal season-high of five made 3-point field goals. Her third 3-pointer gave Charles City a 27-24 lead with 1:26 left in the third quarter before she converted a 3-point play on the ensuing Comet possession to extend the lead to 6 (30-24).

Ellis’s fifth 3-pointer put the Comets up by 10 (37-27) with a little more than six minutes remaining in regulation.

Comet senior Maggie Boss attained double-figure scoring (10 points) while hitting a pair of 3-pointers, and senior Delaney Ruzicka had 12 rebounds while helping limit the Bearcats to one shot per possession while NB struggled in the second half.

“Madie (Lensing) and Lauren (Staudt) did a great job bringing the ball up the court while not turning the ball over,” Rogotzke said. “Our girls worked hard to get this win.”

Junior Kaycee Wiebke had 14 points to lead the Bearcat scorers.

Though Charles City and North Butler annually face each other during the softball season, this was the first time the two schools played each other in basketball.

The Comet girls will try to make it two in a row on Friday in the first game of a home doubleheader against Crestwood.

Girls Varsity

CHARLES CITY 46, NORTH BUTLER 30

Scoring By Quarters

CC 7 5 18 16 — 46

NB 8 16 1 5 — 30

Individual Scoring

CHARLES CITY — Madie Lensing 5, Lauren Staudt 4, Janila Toney 6, Maggie Boss 10, Hannah Hoffman 1, Delaney Ruzicka 2, Ava Ellis 18.

NORTH BUTLER — Reagan Mulder 8, Mollie Buss 2, Brooklyn Wix 4, Brooke Niemann 2, Kaycee Wiebke 14.

RECORDS — Charles City 1-14, North Butler 4-13