The Aplington-Parkersburg basketball teams suffered their first losses of the season in a doubleheader at Denver, as aired on 99 The Wave. The girls lost 61-41 and the boys lost 63-48.
The Falcon girls kept pace with the Cyclones in the opening quarter, but Denver took control in the second by working the ball into the post. Mylee Thurm scored consistently from the low block as the Cyclones built a 31-19 halftime lead.
Aplington-Parkersburg generated momentum in the third quarter by applying pressure that forced turnovers and resulted in a 16-15 scoring advantage in the period. Denver responded in the fourth quarter by returning to its inside game and pulled away for a victory.
Despite the loss, Aplington-Parkersburg Head Coach Brady Driscol says the game provided a valuable early-season measuring stick for his team.
“You feel like if you play with number two like this, you can play with a lot of teams that are on our schedule this year for the most part as well,” says Driscoll.
The Falcon boys fell behind early against the Cyclones, trailing by 20 points at the end of the first quarter. Aplington-Parkersburg responded in the second quarter by outscoring Denver 23-7 to trim the deficit to four points at halftime.
The teams traded baskets in the third quarter, with Denver taking a 48-43 lead into the final period. The Cyclones regained control in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Falcons 15-5 to pull away for a victory. Head Coach Aaron Thomas.
“They were just quicker to every loose ball,” says Thomas. “They hurt us on the offensive glass. They were just way more aggressive. You know, our guys showed some good fight in the second quarter and even into the third, but then the fourth we kind of got back to standing around. They were again the aggressors and you know, way too many offensive rebounds, had way too many unforced turnovers and we just weren’t solid.”
The Falcon girls are now 4-1 on the season, while the boys stand at 3-1. Both teams return to action Tuesday, Dec. 16, at Hudson.
