Warrior girls improve to 7-0 with 53-35 win over Newman Catholic; Warrior boys hang on against Knights, 63-58

By John Burbridge, sports@charlescitypress.com

ROCKFORD — The Newman Catholic Knights girls basketball team substitutes like a hockey team, consistently shuffling 5 for 5 “line” changes throughout the game.

Nonetheless, it was the Rockford Warriors who seemed to be always in the “power play”.

Or maybe they just have power players.

Three of these players attained double-figure scoring as the Warriors improved to 7-0 and 5-0 in the Top of Iowa-East Conference with a convincing 53-35 win over Newman.

Winthrop University-bound Emma Staudt — who was honored before the game for scoring her 1,000th career point last week — and Columbia College-bound Madison McGregor each scored 15 points, and Morgan Thieman added 10 for Rockford.

Staudt also had 12 rebounds to move her closer to 400 in her career, and McGregor had three blocked shots and led the team with five assists.

The Knights took a 10-4 lead midway through the first quarter when Katie Mason’s 3-point shot attempt benefited from a high but friendly bounce off the rim before falling in.

The Warriors managed to take the lead at the end of the first quarter when Staudt scored a rebound basket off a McGregor miss to make the score 12-10.

Later, Staudt hit two 3-point shots on consecutive Rockford possessions to extend the lead to 23-15.

The advantage reached double-digits early in the second half when Staudt came up with a steal near the timeline, followed up with a layup, and then assisted a McGregor layup after stealing the ensuing inbounds pass.

That made the score 32-20 as the Warriors eventually took a 40-24 lead going into the fourth quarter.

Knight junior Peyton Olson had 10 points to lead Newman Catholic (4-3, 3-2).

In the subsequent boys varsity game, it looked as though Rockford was going to cruise to another one-sided victory as the Warriors led by as many as 17 points in the first half and 13 points midway through the fourth quarter.

But in the final minute, the Knights made it interesting.

Newman senior Ben Fitzgerald made a pair of 3-point shots to suddenly draw the Knights within 3 (59-56) before Ryan Fischer’s bucket in the paint made it a 1-point game with 33 seconds left in regulation.

The Knights fouled Rockford senior Zach Bushbaum with 20 seconds left, and Bushbaum made both of his free throws to make the score 61-58.

The Knights came down and had two good looks at 3-point tying shots thanks to an offensive rebound inbetween, but Rockford sophomore Jared Marth was able to secure the defensive rebound on the second miss and was immediately fouled with 3.9 seconds left.

Marth made both of his shots to seal the 63-58 win.

Bushbaum led his team with 13 points and was 6 of 6 from the free throw line. Alex Schriever scored 11 and had five assists, Jacob Staudt had three steals and three 3-point field goals which accounted for all his 9 points, and Kaden Lyman had seven rebounds for Rockford (5-1, 3-1).

Fischer and Brady Gatton each had 14 points, and Ben Fitzgerald and Josh Fitzgerald both scored 10 for Newman Catholic (3-3, 2-3).

Girls Basketball

ROCKFORD 53, NEWMAN CATHOLIC 35

Scoring By Quarters

Newman 10 10 4 11 — 35

Rockford 12 14 14 13 — 53

ROCKFORD — Sarah Parcher 4, Alyssa Staudt 2, Theresa Jones 6, Mackenzie Rooney 1, Morgan Thieman 10, Madison McGregor 15, Emma Staudt 15.

NEWMAN CATHOLIC — Lily Castle 5, Elizabeth Mennen 1, Rylie Smith 2, Maria Determan 2, McKenzie Sullivan 6, Peyton Olson 10, Katie Mason 10.

Boys Basketball

ROCKFORD 63, NEWMAN CATHOLIC 58

Scoring By Quarters

Newman 11 8 15 24 — 58

Rockford 13 19 13 18 — 63

ROCKFORD — Jacob Staudt 9, Zach Bushbaum 13, Alex Schriever 11, Max Rooney 3, Matt Muller 9, Wes Johnson 4, Kaden Lyman 5, Jared Marth 9.

NEWMAN CATHOLIC — Brady Gatton 14, Ryan Fischer 14, Josh Fitzgerald 10, Ben Fitzgerald 10, Justin Fausnaugh 6, Max Mueller 4.