DES MOINES — The Marshalltown boys’ basketball team held Des Moines Hoover without a field goal for a momentous four-minute stretch to start the fourth quarter and the Bobcats held off the Huskies for a 65-60 victory on Tuesday night.
Kyle Smith scored a game-high 27 points, Drake Gersema and Jacob Hayes had 13 points apiece and the Bobcats (2-2) secured back-to-back victories in the metro.
Marshalltown battled back-and-forth with the host Huskies (0-2) before taking control in the fourth quarter, sparked by a strong stretch of defensive play and the scoring prowess of Smith. Smith scored 11 out of 13 points as the Bobcats took a 60-51 lead that put the victory in their hands.
Des Moines Hoover didn’t make a field goal in the fourth quarter until the 3:44 mark, getting only a free throw for the first 4:16 of the period. Marshalltown’s LaMar Johnson got a steal that led to a layup for Smith just before the end of the third quarter, and the Bobcats carried the momentum into the final stanza.
“It was all about guarding the dribble-drive,” MHS head coach Michael Appel said of his team’s defense. “They were getting to the rim and getting to the paint pretty easily on us so we had to step that up, make sure we had help-side, and more importantly just doing a better job guarding the ball. We did a lot better job in the second half.”
Smith shot 11-for-17 from the field, going 4-of-7 from 3-point range, on his way to 27 points. Gersema got nine assists and two steals to go with his 13 points, and Johnson finished with six points, seven rebounds and two steals.
Jamison Niehouse added six points as well as MHS captured the victory.
“It’s huge getting that production from everyone else,” Appel said. “Just a much better job of executing offensively. Obviously a big focal point is Kyle and that draws a lot of other guys to him, and other guys did a really good job of making plays and getting to the rim.”
Boie Gomo led Hoover with 22 points, while Justice Parkey, Isaac Fandeh and Tresean Philips had nine points each.
The Bobcats go back out on the road Friday with a trip to Mason City.
Marshalltown 65, Des Moines Hoover 60
MARSHALLTOWN (2-2) — Drake Gersema 5 3-4 13, Kyle Smith 11 1-2 27, LaMar Johnson 1 4-6 6, Jacob Hayes 4 2-2 13, Will Swartz 0 0-0 0, Jamison Niehouse 2 2-2 6, Adam Boone 0 0-0 0, Zane Moore 0 0-0 0, Arion Hancock 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 23 12-16 65.
DM HOOVER (0-2) — Diyon Berry 2 1-1 6, Justice Parkey 4 0-0 9, Boie Gomo 9 2-2 22, Isaac Fandeh 4 0-1 9, Treshan Phillips 4 1-3 9, Samuel Zay Zay 0 0-0 0, Brandon Harrell 1 3-4 5. TOTALS 24 7-11 60.
MHS 15 12 19 19 — 65
DM HOOVER 11 21 14 14 — 60
3-Point Goals–MHS 7 (Smith 4, Hayes 3), Hoover 5 (Gomo 2, Berry, Parkey, Fandeh). Team Fouls–MHS 13, Hoover 16. Fouled Out–none.