New Hampton girls catch Comets, 50-38

Comet freshman Zuspan scores game-high 22 points in loss against Chickasaws

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

NEW HAMPTON — Nothing can aide a team looking for its first win of the season more than the good ol’ four-point possession.

The Charles City Comets got one the hard way when they opened their Northeast Iowa Conference girls basketball season Tuesday while facing the New Hampton Chickasaws.

Comet freshman Olivia Zuspan was fouled 70 feet from the basket to put Charles City in the bonus midway through the second quarter. Zuspan made the first end of the one-and-one free-throw opportunity but missed the second. Comet senior Kelsi Crooks was able to retrieve the ball and managed to find Zuspan spotting up beyond the 3-point arc.

Zuspan drained the shot giving the Comets a 12-6 lead.

At that time in the game, the 6-point advantage was a big margin as both teams were playing scrappy defense — especially the Comets who limited the Chickasaws to just 3 points in the first quarter.

But New Hampton eventually got its offense going.

Junior guard Isabel Leichtman’s 3-point shot tied the game at 12. Then Chickasaw senior Lexi Rasmussen began to assert herself in the post with her spinning left-handed baby hook as New Hampton went on to win, 50-38.

The Chickasaws were also able to score off press-provoked turnovers, which helped give them a 23-17 lead at the half.

The Comets quickly closed the gap at the start of the second half when Zuspan drained another trey and then stole the ensuing inbounds pass and assisted a basket by Crooks to draw the Comets within 1 (23-22).

But Rasmussen soon followed with a pair of baskets in the paint to regain some distance.

The Chickasaws’ lead got as high as 20, but Zuspan got hot again in the fourth quarter where she drained the latter three of her six 3-pointers while finishing the night with career-high — mind you, she’s only a freshman — 22 points.

Crooks also reached double figures with 11 points for the Comets, who fell to 0-4 and 0-1 in the NEIC.

Rasmussen had 14, Leichtman scored 13 and Darian Wagner added 11 for New Hampton (4-1, 2-0).

The Comets will be back in action Friday when they travel to Crestwood with the Charles City boys team for a varsity double header.

NEW HAMPTON 50, CHARLES CITY 38

Scoring By Quarters

Charles City 7 10 7 14 — 38

New Hampton 3 20 15 12 — 50

CHARLES CITY — Kelsi Crooks 11, Olivia Zuspan 22, Jodie Sindlinger 4, Payton Reams 1.

NEW HAMPTON — Lexi Rasmussen 14, Isabel Leichtman 13, Darian Wegner 11, Emma Nicolaisen 5, Bethany Zenk 6.