ANAMOSA — It would have been very easy for the Anamosa girls basketball team to have given up, down by 24 points in the third quarter hosting a talented Benton Community team Friday, January 25.

It would have been easy, but taking the easy way out isn’t what this Raider team is all about, and in front of a loud home crowd, the hosts rallied and made a game of it against the Bobcats before succumbing to a 64-55 defeat.

“We got off to a nice start and were settling into a nice flow of the game in the first few minutes of the first quarter. Then all of a sudden, we seemed to lose control,” said Raider girls basketball coach Jack Leighty as his team led 7-5 four minutes into the contest, but ended the first quarter on the short end of a 19-9 score. “We started turning the basketball over and didn’t get into our offense and we also struggled slowing Benton down. They seemed to make just about everything they put up in the first half.”

The Bobcats ended the first stanza on a 14-2 spurt and took complete control adding 20 more points in the second quarter.

“It wasn’t one or two people who were making their baskets,” said Leighty. “Benton was attacking us from everywhere and we just started digging a deeper and deeper hole to try and climb out of.”

Benton Community stretched their lead to as much as 24 points in the third quarter before Kayla Sanborn, Jackie Engelbart, Paige Goetz, Kayla Zumbach and Lauren Buck began to battle the Raiders back.

“Kayla was amazing in the second half,” said Leighty. “She carried us offensively and really looked to attack the basket. She did it all and was a big reason we made that nice run at the end.”

Anamosa (6-10, 5-8) trailed 53-34 entering the final frame and thanks to holding the Bobcats scoreless for more than four minutes starting the quarter, went on a 7-0 run and eventually had the Benton Community lead down to nine points, with the basketball.

“We just ran out of time,” said Leighty. “We played hard to get back into this one and I’m proud of the girls for the way they responded. We could have rolled over and died, but we didn’t. We showed a lot of life there in the fourth quarter. This team always works hard. They will never be out-worked, and we showed that again against Benton.”

CEDAR RAPIDS — The bright lights and big city atmosphere must have been exactly what the Anamosa boys basketball team needed to break out of a six-game losing slide Saturday, January 26.

The Raiders took part in Rivalry Saturday festivities and used the prestigious stage at the U.S. Cellular Center in downtown Cedar Rapids to post a big and much needed 53-44 win over Benton Community.

“Finally,” said Anamosa boys basketball coach Kevin Barnes as his team posted their first win since before the Christmas break with the convincing nine-point triumph over the Bobcats.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve been able to finally enjoy one, and we are certainly going to enjoy this one.”

Anamosa (5-8, 4-6) impressed from the opening tip, and it wasn’t just stellar seniors Colten Kelly, Tony Lueken and Skyler Miell who showed the way scoring points, nine different Raiders found their way into the scoring column as Benton Community struggled keeping the varying Anamosa attack in check.

“This was just a good, solid team effort today,” said Barnes. “There are many keys to the game, but as important as any of them is the fact that we really controlled the boards. Neither team shot the ball very well, but we just rebounded it better, and in the end, I felt that was the difference.”

The Raiders were completely dominant on the glass all game long, ending the game with a considerable 41-25 rebounding edge over Benton Community, with Josh English leading the way grabbing 12 boards.

After a slow start to the contest as both teams felt out the large surroundings and the raised court, the Bobcats led 5-4 five minutes in before Anamosa began to catch fire.