Tenth-ranked (Class 3A) and North Central Conference leader Clear Lake used its noticeable size and strength advantages to blitz the Lynx early and it was never a contest after the initial wave, as the Lions rolled to a 65-39 win over the Lynx.

Clear Lake led 21-7 after one quarter and opened the second quarter on a 17-2 run to build a 38-9 cushion.

It was all academic from there, and WCHS head coach Marty McKinney grasped for answers afterwards.

“As a team — and I’m talking the staff and the players — we’ve got to find a way to get better prepared because, obviously, we weren’t ready to go (Tuesday night),” he said. “I’m not finding the right buttons to push for us to be consistent.”

WCHS sophomore forward Jamin Stuhr (34) battles Clear Lake’s Andrew Formanek for a rebound during Tuesday’s NCC game in Webster City. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

WCHS (8-5, 5-4 NCC) was sluggish, there’s no doubt about that, but that only meant the game got out of hand early on. The reality is Clear Lake (12-2, 9-0 NCC) simply isn’t a good match-up for the Lynx, who rely on quickness and athleticism for success. The problem with that is the Lions are also solid on both of those fronts and have size to boot.

“You’ve got to give Clear Lake credit because they’re a very good basketball team,” McKinney said. “Their strengths are their size and strength, which goes against what we do. And not only are they big and strong, they’re quick too.”

Lion’s sophomore guard Carson Toebe scored his team’s initial eight points and finished with a game-high 18. He buried a pair of contested 3-pointers early on and then when old school to score when he bounced an inbounds pass off the back of a WCHS player for an uncontested bucket at the rim.

But the Lynx had plenty of other issues defensively. They were out-rebounded 41-17, and 17 of Clear Lake’s boards came on the offensive glass. WCHS allowed two dunks and was left flat-footed on lob plays at the rim.

Trailing 38-15 at the half and 50-28 after three quarters, WCHS made a brief run early in the fourth. A 3-pointer from Tavis Eklund trimmed the Lions’ lead to 17 — the closest the Lynx had been since early in the second quarter — but Clear Lake ended the contest on a 14-5 spurt.

DFJ photo/Troy Banning

“The effort in the second half was much better and that’s what we needed in the first half,” McKinney said. “We executed a little bit better and most of that came from effort. That effort has to be there from everybody all the time.

“We’ve got to learn to control the controllables. We get worried about officials’ calls, we get worried about other stuff that doesn’t matter and then we’re not locked in.”

Tyler Olson was the lone WCHS player to score in double figures. He finished with 13 points. Eklund added seven points, while Drake Doering had four and four rebounds.

Andrew Formanek, the Lions’ big man in the paint, torched the Lynx for 16 points and Kody Kearns added 12 more.

WCHS will be back at home Friday night to take on Hampton-Dumont/CAL, followed by a Saturday date with Gilbert.

DFJ photo/Troy Banning

Clear Lake 65, Webster City 39

Tuesday at Webster City

Clear Lake (12-2, 9-0 NCC) — Carson Toebe 6 2-2 18, Jackson Loge 0 0-0 0, Nick Danielson 1 0-0 3, Jack Barragy 1 0-0 3, Andrew Formanek 7 2-6 16, Kody Kearns 5 2-4 12, Noah Peterson 0 0-0 0, Mitchell Raber 0 0-0 0, Jaylen DeVries 2 1-1 5, Eric Ritter 1 0-0 2, Brody Kuhlemeier 2 0-0 4, Ryan Thomas 0 2-2 2. Totals: 25 9-15 65.

Webster City (8-5, 5-4 NCC) — Ty McKinney 0 0-0 0, Drake Doering 1 2-2 4, Trey Lyons 0 0-0 0, Tavis Eklund 3 0-0 7, Tyler Olson 5 1-2 13, Carter Neuroth 1 0-0 2, Elijah Killian 0 4-4 4, Lincoln LaSourd 0 1-2 1, Jamin Stuhr 1 0-0 2, Casey Kolbeck 0 0-0 0, Will Tasler 1 4-5 6.

Cl. Lake 21 17 12 15 — 65

DFJ photo/Troy Banning

Web. City 7 8 13 11 — 39

3-point field goals — CL 6 (Toebe 4, Danielson, Barragy); WC 3 (Olson 2, Eklund). Rebounds — 17 (Doering 4). Steals — WC 8 (Neuroth 4). Assists — WC 9 (Neuroth 3). Turnovers — WC 18. Team fouls — CL 15, WC 13. Fouled out — CL: DeVries.