DES MOINES — The Marshalltown girls’ basketball team picked up its fourth win of the season for just the second time in the last 10 years, but the Bobcats are only a fourth of the way into their schedule.
Marshalltown made eight 3-pointers and ran off with a 49-16 victory over Des Moines Hoover on Tuesday night, improving to 4-1 with the Iowa Alliance Conference triumph.
MHS senior Sydney Kapayou scored a game-high 14 points and freshman Morgan Hilderbrand added 10 points as the Bobcats led from wire-to-wire.
Des Moines Hoover (0-4) didn’t score until the final two minutes of the opening quarter and trailed 19-2 at the first intermission. Marshalltown led 35-3 at halftime.
The boost in scoring was a boon for the Bobcats, who found out that junior guard Kinsley Bowie’s ankle injury was worse than originally suspected. Four different players made a 3-pointer, however, as Marshalltown knocked down the open looks against Des Moines Hoover’s 2-3 zone defense.
“We talked in practice about trying to collectively replace [Bowie’s] scoring, and we were pleased with the response from our team tonight,” said MHS head coach Brian Murphy. “I don’t remember the last time we hit eight 3s in a single game, but I don’t think it has happened during my tenure.”
Kapayou made three 3-pointers, Hilderbrand hit two, Ellie Hughes hit two and Millie Heitmann sank a trey as the Bobcats got their season-high scoring output.
“The story of the game was our shooting and ball movement against their 2-3 zone,” said Murphy. “We also did a good job of crashing the boards and using our size advantage.”
Frankie Long finished with five points to go with 11 rebounds — eight offensive — and four blocked shots. Hughes finished with nine points and seven rebounds, while Jorja Janssen had three points and nine boards before fouling out.
Heitmann tallied four points, five boards, four assists and three blocks, and Niah Lott added four points and two steals.
Marshalltown is back on the road Friday at Mason City.
Marshalltown 49, Des Moines Hoover 16
MARSHALLTOWN (4-1) — Millie Heitmann 1 1-2 4, Jorja Janssen 1 1-2 3, Ellie Hughes 3 1-2 9, Sydney Kapayou 4 1-5 14, Frankie Long 2 1-2 5, Niah Lott 2 0-0 4, Mallory Meyeraan 0 0-0 0, Morgan Hilderbrand 3 2-4 10. TOTALS 17 7-16 49.
DM HOOVER (0-4) — Ernestine Kennedy 0 2-6 2, Meleah Davis 2 2-4 6, Cora Johnson 2 3-6 8, Eleanor Ekwall 0 0-0 0, Victoria Ugwuanyi 0 0-0 0, Jholyn Seraquive Tuba 0 0-0 0, Ruth Fandeh 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 4 7-18 16.
MHS 19 16 12 2 — 49
DM HOOVER 2 1 5 8 — 16
3-Point Goals–MHS 8 (Kapayou 3, Hilderbrand 2, Hughes 2, Heitmann), Hoover 1 (Johnson). Team Fouls–MHS 14, Hoover 10. Fouled Out–Janssen, Kennedy.