By RYAN WALKER
Norwell suffered its first loss of the season to No. 7 Homestead 80-42 at Spartan Arena Tuesday night.
“We just have to be stronger with the ball,” Head coach Eric Thornton said after the game. “We came out both halves, and they just exerted their will on us, and our kids didn’t fight.”
Thornton was already faced with an issue for the game early in the morning. The Knights’ leading scorer, junior Kennedy Fuelling, was ruled out for the game due to a back injury. He said he tried to mix in new starters in the rotation and even brought up a few junior varsity players.
Missing the top scorer wasn’t a recipe for success, and it showed in the first quarter. Homestead took a n10-0 lead within the first two minutes, while Norwell started off blowing through two timeouts and missing its first seven shots.
Norwell would get on the board with a pair of free throws right before the five-minute mark, and junior guard Makenzie Fuess hit three straight jumpers before the end of the period. But the Spartans were already ahead by 10 and never looked back.
The Knights again struggled to find their first bucket to open the second quarter, going 0-6 before junior Ali Riley hit a three with 2:55 left in the half.
Homestead’s Ali Stephens picked up her 12th point of the game, hitting back-to-back threes to end the first half. She finished the game with 24.
Norwell not only struggled to shoot the ball, but the Knights also turned the ball over without Fuelling to run the offense. The Spartans took full advantage, running the floor and turning the Knights’ mistakes into points.
“They just bodied up on us, and our kids were making too many turnovers,” Thornton said. “When you’re handling the basketball, and you let a bump here or there affect your ability to do what we do on offense, it really makes it difficult, and it started at the beginning.”
The struggles were more of the same in the third and fourth quarters, and both teams’ benches came in with a few minutes remaining. The Spartans outscored the Knights 45-22 in the second half.
Thornton, despite the loss, said that’s why they schedule teams like Homestead on the schedule to take on the challenge and prepare his team for future games.
Speaking of future games, the Knights have the rest of the week to prepare for Oak Hill (2-1) at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, in Knightstown, which will be played at the Hoosier Gym. Thornton’s squad will need to be ready to go, healthy or not when the next challenge arrives.
“We can’t lose sight of what we’re trying to do,” he said. “We try to challenge our kids schedule-wise, and the good thing is we get a few days from now to settle in and know who we’re going to have rather than it just kind of being right on top of this. The timing of playing Homestead with what we’re dealing with was a challenge tonight.”
JV score 38-35 Norwell.
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NORWELL 42, HOMESTEAD 80
At Homestead High School
NORWELL (3-1): TOTALS: 42 (Makenzie Fuess 15, Ali Riley 5, Dekota Hubble 5, Vanessa Rosswurm 4, Lillian Norris 3, Haley Green 3, Madyson Sonnigsen 3, Ryland Graft 2, Annabelle Johnson 2, Addison Norris 0, Ashley Waldman 0, Mekynzi Beck 0.
HOMESTEAD (0-1): TOTALS: 80 (Ali Stephens 24, Emma Reust 15, Molly Stock 12, Gabby Helsom 7, Saniah Sandlin 6, Myah Epps 6, Whitney Ankenbruck 3, Hilliary Adams 3, Evie Bottoms 2, Sydney Fream 2, Carley Moellering 0, Brooklyn Fream 0, Claire Landrigan 0.
Norwell 12 4 10 6 — 42
Homestead 21 8 17 15 — 80
Three-point Goals: Norwell 4 (L. Norris 1, Fuess 1, Sonnigsen 1, Riley 1), Homestead 8 (Stephens 3, Stock 2, Adams 1, Ankenbruck 1, Helsom 1). Fouls: Norwell 12, Homestead 14. Fouled Out: None. Technicals: None.
