Norwalk sends Cyclones home early, 72-37

HCHS starts strong in 3A state quarterfinal, but struggles for offense during last three quarters; Warriors’ stout defense forces 15 Cyclone turnovers, cold shooting as Born limited to 26 points
 “(Defense) is something we take a lot of pride in,” said Norwalk head coach Chris Larson. “I think some of our local teams maybe know that a little more about us that we can do it a couple different ways and we really pride ourselves in that we can get up into people."

 DES MOINES (March 10) -- From afar, the hype surrounding Norwalk boys basketball is all about senior star Bowen Born and a potent offense that scores 76 points a game.
 Up close inside Wells Fargo Arena, the top-ranked Warriors showcased some stifling team defense as well on Tuesday, perhaps the most impressive aspect of their state tournament rout of Harlan Community.
 The 8th-seeded Cyclones held Born scoreless for the first six minutes in building an early 13-7 lead, but were outscored 65-24 the rest of the way in a 72-37 Class 3A quarterfinal defeat.
 HCHS shot 28.6 percent from the field and turned the ball over 15 times - both very uncharacteristic stats. The Cyclones suffered a first-round loss at state for the first time in 11 tries under head coach Mitch Osborn, finishing 18-7 on the season.
 Norwalk, last year’s 3A state runner-up, improved to 22-3 and played fifth-seeded Ballard (19-6) in a semifinal game Thursday afternoon. The Warriors claimed their first state title on Friday, March 13.
 “We’d have had to play an absolutely picture perfect game to beat them, and they would have to have an off night,” Osborn said. “I don’t even know what Bowen ended up with, but I thought we did about as good a job as you can on him and (Tyler) Johnson, but their other guys stepped up and hit shots.
 “It was the turnovers that (really hurt us)... They got (the lead) up to 20, then 25, and then we panicked offensively and it was over.”
 Osborn added that he was proud of his team’s run to state - the Cyclones’ first since 2014 - as they defeated three Hawkeye Ten rivals to reach Des Moines.
 “Great place to end your season right here at the state tournament, nothing to be ashamed of and we got beat by a great team - defending state runner-up, the best player in the state. It was a great run by our guys.”
 Born, who entered the day averaging a state-best 37.5 points per game, eventually found his rhythm after an 0-for-5 start and paced the Warriors with 26 points, four assists and four steals. Tyler Johnson, Norwalk’s only other double-digit scorer on the year, was held to seven points as a secondary target of Harlan’s triangle-and-two and other junk defenses.
 Role players picked up the scoring slack, but it was the Warriors’ tough man-to-man defense - and Harlan’s poor shot selection at times -  that turned the game into a blowout. Several of Norwalk’s 11 steals led directly to points as it finished with a 20-4 edge in points off turnovers and led 17-2 in fast break points.
 The Cyclones made only 4-of-19 threes and 10-of-30 two-point shots as Warrior defenders were usually right in their grill contesting each attempt.
 Bruck scored 11 points and Monson had 10 to lead the Cyclones, followed by Michael Erlemeier with seven and Connor Frame, Brad Curren and Aidan Hall with three each. Will McLaughlin grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
 Scott Anderson hit 3-of-6 treys and added 11 points for the Warriors, who shot 10-of-24 from beyond the arc and 53.7 percent overall. Norwalk outrebounded HCHS 32-29 (Brown 7) and committed just six turnovers.
 HCHS will graduate four seniors off this year’s team in leading scorers Bruck, Monson and Michael Heithoff and reserve Cody Christensen.

 
 

 

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