WEBSTER CITY — A signature early-season victory was offered up for free Tuesday night, but for whatever reason the Webster City girls’ basketball team was unable to tuck and run.

The free part came at the line where WCHS struggled mightily, particularly down the stretch, and it allowed 15th-ranked (Class 3A) Hampton-Dumont/CAL to stage a late rally and escape with a 38-36 North Central Conference victory.

Trailing by as many as nine points early and by six following a Leah Kasch 3-pointer with 3:15 remaining, HDC (4-1, 2-1 NCC) reeled off the next nine points and went in front to stay on an Avery Hanson three-point play with 57 ticks remaining.

It was a crushing setback for WCHS (0-3, 0-1 NCC), which was playing for the first time since Nov. 30. The Lynx did so many things well, but the free throw line was their kryptonite. They connected on just 6 of 16 attempts, including a wobbly 3 of 10 in the final period.

“We should have made our free throws, we should have rebounded better and we should have been a little bit more selective with our shots,” WCHS head coach Nicole Muhlenbruch said of the late-game struggles. “It’s critical that we make our free throws. That’s where you catch your wind, and if you knock those down then you can get back and play defense.”

The Lynx cashed in on just 1 of 4 free throws in the final minute after HDC jumped in front. Giving up an offensive rebound following an Alana Johnson missed free throw with 20 seconds remaining didn’t help either. It allowed Gina Schmit the opportunity to step to the line and she drained 1 of 2 to give the Bulldogs a three-point edge.

WCHS had one last chance to force overtime, but Jenna Miller’s 3-pointer from the right wing bounced off the front of the rim. Trinity Griffith canned a free throw with under one second remaining to close the deficit to two.

After sitting idle for two weeks and practicing just three times prior to tip-off, WCHS had hoped to prove they were able to kick off the rust quickly. And for three-plus quarters, they succeeded.

“We were out to prove something,” Muhlenbruch said. “We wanted to show that we could come back, battle and win even with that disadvantage.”

The nets sizzled early, as Miller, Kasch and Kelly Stoakes all rained in 3s to help WCHS build a 15-6 lead after one quarter. Stoakes and Kasch combined for all seven of the team’s second quarter points, as the Lynx owned a 22-16 edge at the break.

It wasn’t all rainbows in the first half, however. Starting guard Alley Odland suffered a gash on her head that sent her to the hospital for stitches after she knocked heads with teammate Livia Kasch. Without Odland, WCHS was forced to play with primarily a five-player rotation the remainder of the way.

“Losing that spark out there definitely affected us,” Muhlenbruch said. “Alley is aggressive and she understands the game.”

A 6-0 run by WCHS midway through the third quarter included a steal and layup for Shelby Queen, who picked up Odland’s minutes. The Lynx led by as many as eight in the stanza and by five, 28-23, entering the fourth.

Leah Kasch led WCHS with 15 points, six rebounds and three assists. Stoakes finished with nine points and three steals, while Miller chipped in five points and a team-high eight caroms.

Hanson did the majority of the damage for the Bulldogs, as she poured in a game-high 22 points. The junior forward notched 13 in the first half to keep HDC within range. Lauren Meader chipped in nine points.

WCHS will keep plugging away on Friday when it hosts Algona at 6:15 p.m.

H-D/CAL 38, Webster City 36

Tuesday at Webster City

Hampton-Dumont/CAL (4-1, 2-1 NCC) — Alana Johnson 1 1-2 1, Lauren Meader 4 1-1 9, Zoe Erdman 1 0-0 3, Avery Hanson 9 2-4 22, Kasey Springer 0 0-0 0, Gina Schmit 0 1-2 1, Faith Grover 1 0-0 2. Totals: 15 5-9 38.

Webster City (0-3, 0-1 NCC) — Kelly Stoakes 3 2-2 9, Alley Odland 1 0-0 2, Leah Kasch 5 3-7 15, Shelby Queen 1 0-2 2, Livia Kasch 1 0-2 2, Jenna Miller 2 0-0 5, Trinity Griffith 0 1-3 1. Totals: 13 6-16 36.

HDC 6 10 7 15 — 38

Web City 15 7 6 8 — 36

3-point field goals — HDC 3 (Hanson 2, Erdman); WC 4 (Le. Kasch 2, Stoakes, Miller). Rebounds — WC 22 (Miller 8, Le. Kasch 6). Steals — WC 12 (Stoakes 3). Assists — WC 8 (Le. Kasch 3). Turnovers — WC 15. Team fouls — HDC 14, WC 15. Fouled out — WC: Le. Kasch.