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Fast start saves Lynx boys over final 3 quarters

Four players score in double figures in win; Shannon produces 7th double-double

Jordan Tanner drives to the bucket for two of his team-high 20 points for Webster City in its 65-62 victory over Algona on Friday. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

WEBSTER CITY — Three usually trumps one, but luckily for the Webster City boys’ basketball team the reverse was true Friday night.

The Lynx brilliant first quarter was enough to withstand three quarters of frustration and anger on the part of head coach Marty McKinney, as WCHS hung on down the stretch to take down North Central Conference rival Algona, 65-62.

WCHS (8-3, 7-1 NCC) avenged its only league loss and maintained control of the NCC lead, but it didn’t come the way McKinney had drawn it up.

“I can’t put my finger on it without watching film,” McKinney said afterwards. “We came out and executed the game plan, defensively we got a bunch of stops and offensively got great looks … pretty much everything we wanted. But then it was just like we relaxed.”

Unselfish play and menacing defense propelled WCHS out to a 19-6 lead after one quarter and the cushion reached 17 points, 23-6, just two minutes into the second period.

WCHS guard Cameron Moen buries a 3-pointer from the corner during the first half of Friday’s 65-62 victory over Algona. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

And then the wheels got wobbly. They never fell completely off, but the ride was bumpy.

Algona (5-9, 3-4 NCC) put together a quick 8-0 run and climbed to within 26-21 by the half. The Bulldogs trimmed the deficit down to four early in the third before Noah McKinney splashed in back-to-back 3-pointers to give WCHS some breathing room, 42-34, heading into the final eight minutes.

Algona again pulled within four points on multiple occasions down the stretch, but WCHS made just enough free throws late to seal the victory.

The Bulldogs extended the game by executing a hack-a-thon over the final 21⁄2 minutes of the fourth quarter. WCHS made 13 of 17 free throws down the stretch, led by junior Jordan Tanner, who was 9 of 12 during than run. He was 12 of 18 overall at the line and scored a team-high 20 points.

Turnovers, 19 of them in all due in large part to sloppy passing and an inability to break Algona’s full-court pressure, drew the brunt of McKinney’s ire.

DFJ photo/Troy Banning

“We’ve got to fix the turnovers thing now,” he said. “We’re winning games, but winning games sometimes masks the issues that you have. Yeah, we’re pulling out these wins in the fourth quarter, but if we keep turning the ball over like this, it’s not going to keep happening. It’s not a recipe for success.”

Algona poured in 28 points in the fourth quarter, led by do-everything guard Jackson Helmers, who scored a game-high 23 points. He drained a step-back 3 from the left wing to get the Bulldogs within 62-58 with 30 seconds remaining, but Tanner calmly sank a pair of free throws seconds later.

Tanner also pulled down 10 rebounds and distributed five assists. Connor Shannon produced his seventh double-double of the season — 13 points and 17 rebounds — and Noah McKinney finished with 12 points. Henry Hoversten was the Lynx fourth player to score in double figures; he had 10 off the bench.

Shannon’s average of 10.9 rebounds per game ranks him fourth in Class 3A.

Webster City 65, Algona 62

DFJ photo/Troy Banning

Friday at Webster City

Algona (5-9, 3-4 NCC) — Riley Helmers 5 3-4 13, Nick Stein 3 2-2 10, Bryce Badley 0 0-0 0, Trevor Bormann 1 0-1 2, Spencer Nelson 3 0-0 8, Spencer Holmes 1 0-0 2, Jackson Helmers 8 4-5 23, Wyatt Wegener 2 0-0 4, Collin Sexton 0 0-0 0. Totals: 23 9-12 62.

Webster City (8-3 7-1 NCC) — Noah McKinney 3 3-4 12, James Van Diest 0 0-0 0, Jordan Tanner 4 12-18 20, Tyler Bultena 1 0-0 2, Cameron Moen 3 0-2 8, Connor Shannon 5 1-1 13, Henry Hoversten 4 2-6 10. Totals: 20 18-31 65.

Algona 6 15 13 28 — 62

Webster City 19 7 16 23 — 65

DFJ photo/Troy Banning

3-point field goals — WC 7 (McKinney 3, Moen 2, Shannon 2); ALG 7 (J. Helmers 3, Nelson 2, Stein 2). Rebounds — WC 37 (Shannon 17, Tanner 10). Steals — WC 3. Assists — WC 14 (Tanner 5). Team fouls — ALG 25, WC 10. Fouled out — ALG: Stein.

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