Warriors stay hot against Panthers

Rockford girls win 52-47; Rockford boys dominant, 87-48, in DH sweep of Central Springs

By John Burbridge

sports@charlescitypress.com

MANLY — This past weekend’s frigid weather didn’t cool off the Rockford Warriors basketball teams.

It just threw them a little off schedule.

On Monday, the Warriors made up a varsity doubleheader against the hosting Central Springs Panthers originally scheduled for Friday night. Taking different approaches in regards to mathematics — the Lady Warriors more utilizing the 1-point shot while the “Gentlemen” Warriors showing a preference to the 3-point shot — they both added up to a DH sweep for Rockford.

In the girls game, senior Emma Staudt scored a game-high 24 points with more than half of it coming from 13-of-16 free-throw shooting, while leading the Lady Warriors to a 52-47 victory.

Madison McGregor, who is due to sign her Letter of Intent to play for Columbia College next year, scored 13 and led undefeated Rockford (7-0, 5-0 in Top of Iowa-East) with seven rebounds.

The Panthers (4-4, 3-3) had a 25-21 lead at the half and were up 36-34 going into the fourth quarter. A 3-point play by Staudt tied the game at 41 before a pair of free throws by McGregor put the Warriors up for good (43-42) with a little more than four minutes in regulation.

Staudt later added two more free throws to give the Warriors some distance (47-42).

Kaylee Parks had 23 points for the Panthers.

In the boys game, Rockford came out bombing from long range. In the first quarter, the Warriors hit seven times from beyond the 3-point arc while taking a 27-10 lead.

Senior Zach Bushbaum had four of those 3-pointers wand eventually had seven for the game while leading all scorers with 25 points in Rockford’s 87-48 victory.

Matt Muller — who also scores in bunches — had 23 points for the Warriors (6-1, 4-1).

Muller’s assist of a fast-break layup by Jacob Staudt put Rockford up by 20 (36-16) early in the second quarter.

The winless Panthers (0-8, 0-6) did threaten to make a game out of by pulling within 11 before halftime — in a recent game against Newman Catholic, Rockford nearly blew a 16-point lead before preserving the win.

But Muller’s steal and layup gave the Warriors a overwhelming 30-point lead (74-44) going into the fourth quarter.

Staudt had six assists and three steals, and Alex Schriever had five assists and four steals for Rockford who — with the girls varsity — will host Saint Ansgar tonight.

Daniel Hennigar had 18 points and Mitch Figalsen scored 14 for Central Springs.

Girls Basketball

ROCKFORD 52,
CENTRAL SPRINGS 47

Scoring By Quarters

Rockford 9 12 13 18 — 52

Central Springs 6 19 11 11 — 47

ROCKFORD — Sarah Parcher 5, Theresa Jones 3, Mackenzie Rooney 2, Morgan Thieman 5, Madison McGregor 13, Emma Staudt 24.

CENTRAL SPRINGS — Kaylee Parks 23, Michaela Marino 3, Jadyn Shonka 4, Kara Axdahl 2, Haillee Aushenhus 6, Morgan Kelly 2, Anna Dietrich 1, Hannah Ausenhus 6.

Boys Basketball

ROCKFORD 87,

CENTRAL SPRINGS 48

Scoring By Quarters

Rockford 27 22 25 13 — 87

Central Springs 10 23 11 4 — 48

ROCKFORD — Zach Bushbaum 25, Andrew Longcor 4, Jacob Staudt 6, Alex Schriever 7, Max Rooney 4, Matt Muller 23, Wes Johnson 1, Kaden Lyman 7, Jared Marth 8, Rayn Bartling 2.

CENTRAL SPRINGS — Mitch Fingalsen 14, Austin Dillavou 6, Colton Fink 2, Trace Kessler 2, Kalen Eastman 2, Daniel Hennigar 18, Trevor Hall 4.