March 29, 2024

Cardinals control own destiny in POI girls race

LEON — Two teams entered Friday night tied atop the standings in the Pride of Iowa Conference girls basketball title race.

One team came out with a statement victory and control of its own destiny in the pursuit of the conference title.

Central Decatur smothered Bedford here Friday night in a 78-49 victory over the Class 1A eighth-ranked Bulldogs.

The Cardinals ended the first half on a 19-4 run to take control, leading 49-26 at the break.

“I think, finally, we played four quarters against somebody,” Central Decatur head coach Curtis Boothe said. “I know they had some stretches where they turned us over and maybe some defensive rotations that weren’t the best, but I think for the most part, that’s by far our most consistent game.”

Central Decatur limited Bedford Fallyn Beemer to just seven first-half points and got her into early foul trouble, which Boothe said was a key.

But, Cardinal senior Hallie Linhart also picked up two fouls in the first half, as did sophomore Raegan Boothe.

Still, Central Decatur used a balanced approach in the first half to build the lead. Lily Simon had 14 points at the halftime break for the Cardinals, while Linhart had nine points. Jentri Hullinger and Boothe each had eight points and Lydia Martin had six points by halftime.

“We tried to get into their bench a little bit and try to run up and down,” Boothe said. “We got a couple fouls on Beemer, which helped. They got two on Hallie and Raegan, so it kind of counterbalanced each other, but the other girls stepped up. I thought Lily did a great job of scoring and Jentri had a little run there where she hit three or four shots from the corner. Then Lydia just does her part. It was nice to have everybody step up and play a team game.”

The Cardinals continued that offensive balance throughout the second half, extending their lead to as much as 30 points late.

Simon led the way with 19 points, followed by Boothe with 17, Linhart with 16, Martin with 15 and Hullinger with nine points.

Central Decatur also got key minutes off the bench from Keegan Bethards, Hanna Mendenhall and Elena Rodriguez.

“I feel like, for the first time since the 2009 team, that we’ve had that ability,” Boothe said. “Back then, they could all stand around and shoot the three. We kind of have that this year, but they are all willing to get better. They like to drive and kick to each other. If we do that, we’re very hard to defend.”

Callie Calfee led Bedford with 19 points, while Beemer finished with 14. No other Bedford player registered more than five points.

For the game, Central Decatur shot 9-of-21 from behind the 3-point arc. Boothe and Simon each made three 3-pointers, while Hullinger sank two.

The Cardinals assisted on 21 of 25 made baskets for the game. Boothe and Linhart each had six assists, while Hullinger assisted on four baskets.

Central Decatur improved to 18-1 for the season with the win, while Bedford fell to 14-3. Within the Pride of Iowa Conference, Central Decatur took a one-game lead over the Bulldogs with a record of 12-1. Bedford now sits at 11-2, with Interstate 35, Martensdale-St. Marys and Nodaway Valley all tied for third place at 10-3.