“I’m surprised that teams have gotten within 20 points of them, I really am,” she said as she discussed fourth-ranked (Class 3A) Clear Lake, far and away the most dominant team inside the North Central Conference.

Muhlenbruch’s Webster City team couldn’t do it. Even while playing a solid first half, the Lynx still trailed by 18 points at the intermission and had no chance in a 65-28 loss to Clear Lake Tuesday night.

But the Lynx (8-7, 5-5 NCC), who saw their five-game winning streak swim away, aren’t alone in the futile endeavor. League leader Clear Lake (14-1, 10-0 NCC) has won its conference contests by an average of 35.3 points and only one team — 13th-ranked (3A) Hampton-Dumont/CAL — stayed within 20 points. That was a 15-point runaway.

“They’re just a really good team,” Muhlenbruch said. “Everybody is so skilled and they’re so deep. They’ll be the best team we’ll see this year unless we run into a team late in regionals. They have some of the best players.”

WCHS sophomore guard Kelly Stoakes (10) is pressured by Clear Lake’s Darby Dodd (13) as she brings the ball up the floor on Tuesday. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

The NCC doesn’t give out a Player of the Year award, but if it did it’s a good bet that Lions’ senior guard Sara Faber would be a multiple-time winner. Feisty on defense and relentless on offense, she went off for 24 points, four rebounds, four steals and three assists against the Lynx.

Darby Dodd checked in with 11 points, all in the first half, and she also distributed five assists. Chelsey Holck added 10 points and five boards.

Clear’s Lake’s bevy of weapons led to nine 3-pointers and a 27-6 scoring edge outside of the arc. Six different Lions drained 3s, led by Dodd with three and Faber with two.

Dodd’s touch essentially left WCHS in the rearview mirror for good. She drained back-to-back triples to open the second quarter, and Jaden Ainley added another on the third possession to push Clear Lake’s lead to 16, 26-10.

Dodd punctuated the first-half blitz with another 3 just before the buzzer to send the Lions into the break ahead 33-15.

WCHS had just two first-quarter turnovers against the Lions’ full-court press and totaled only six in the first half.

The press wasn’t a problem. Turnovers weren’t a problem. But not even perfection would have likely been enough.

“When you have five girls out there that can shoot the 3 and then bring four off the bench that can shoot the 3, that’s tough to defend,” Muhlenbruch said. “It was physically and mentally draining on us.”

WCHS hung close early on, but a 10-0 Clear Lake run midway through the first quarter put the Lions in control to stay.

After a 10-point first quarter, the Lynx were held to five, six and seven points over the final three periods, respectively.

Taylor McKinney, the leading scorer in the NCC at 18.5 points per game, was held to 12. All six of her field goals came on drives to the basket as the Lions swarmed her with an array of defenders on the perimeter.

Grace Hoversten canned the Lynx only two 3-pointers and finished with nine points to go along with 10 rebounds. No other WCHS player scored more than three points.

Muhlenbruch’s club will attempt to quickly move on, as Hampton-Dumont/CAL visits Webster City on Friday.

“We can’t let one game take away from the previous five,” Muhlenbruch said. “We’re moving on. It’s done, it’s over with.”

Clear Lake 65, Webster City 28

Tuesday at Webster City

Clear Lake (14-1, 10-0 NCC) — Sara Faber 11 0-0 24, Julia Merfeld 1 0-0 3, Darby Dodd 4 0-0 11, Ali Maulsby 1 1-2 4, Chelsey Holck 5 0-2 10, Jaden Ainley 3 0-0 7, Emily Theiss 0 0-0 0, Layne Lester 0 0-0 0, Kaitlyn VanderPloeg 1 1-2 3, Ashlyn Fread 1 0-0 3, Zoe Fasbender 0 0-0 0. Totals: 27 2-6 65.

Webster City (8-7, 5-5 NCC) — Tatum Goings 0 0-2 0, Taylor McKinney 6 0-0 12, Kelly Stoakes 1 0-0 2, Leah Kasch 1 0-0 2, Morgan Gallentine 0 0-0 0, Kaylyn Anderson 0 0-0 0, Grace Hoversten 2 3-4 9, Jenna Miller 0 0-0 0, Adalie Schwandt 1 1-2 3. Totals: 11 4-8 28.

C. Lake 17 16 14 18 — 65

Web City 10 5 6 7 — 28

3-point field goals — CL 9 (Dodd 3, Faber 2, Merfeld, Maulsby, Ainley, Fread); WC 2 (Hoversten 2). Rebounds — WC 25 (Hoversten 10). Steals — WC 3. Assists — WC 1. Turnovers — WC 16. Team fouls — CL 12, WC 6. Fouled out — none.