Fourth ranked (4A) Ballard topped Clear Lake in the season opener for the Lions on Tuesday, Nov. 22. Ballard improved to 2-0.
Clear Lake, which entered the game ranked 14th in Class 3A, had slow starts in the first and third quarters, helping the Bombers to a 54-27 win.
The Lions found themselves in an early hole, as Ballard rushed out to a 14-4 first quarter lead on their home court. Both teams scored nine points in the second period, making the halftime score 23-13.
“I thought we played a pretty good first half against a really good ranked 4A team,” said Head Coach Bart Smith. “Our main focus was to defend really well and we did that for about two and half quarters.”
The Bombers continued their assault after the break and put 13 points on the board, compared to three for the Lions for a daunting 36-16 advantage.
“We struggled offensively, but we are still trying to develop some chemistry at that end,” said the coach. “We did some good things there to build off of. One thing we can improve upon is our decision making and taking care of the ball. We need to limit those as we get into these early games.”
Clear Lake was paced by Jordan Mayland, who had 10 points. Fellow senior Annika Nelson put in five points, as did sophomore Reese Brownlee and freshman Ayla Johnson. Brooklyn Eden chipped in two points. Eden finished with a team-high four assists.
Mayland and Johnson each pulled down five rebounds to lead the team. Mayland, Nelson and Eden were also credited with two steals apiece.
The Lions are 0-1 on the season and will host Webster City to open up North Central Conference on Friday.
