Comet boys break free of Bulldogs, 47-40, for season’s 1st win

By John Burbridge sports@charlescitypress.com

ALGONA — As often the case in football, the team with the greater time of possession on offense ends up with the greater score.

In basketball, there tends to anomalies when it comes to ball-control theories.

Take Algona’s non-conference boys basketball game against the visiting Charles City Comets last Saturday afternoon. The Bulldogs were able to drain as much as a minute off the clock during a single possession while reversing the ball back-and-forth along the semicircle perimeter of the Comets’ trapping zone, and then retrieving missed shots and loose balls to keep things on their side of the court even longer.

Though it kept the clock running assuring a shorter game, it seemed as if it was going to be a long afternoon for the Comets as Algona got them into a type of grinding, physical low-scoring game that gave the home team the best chance for victory.

Nonetheless, Charles City was able pull away midway through the second half to win its first game of the season with a 47-40 final.

Charles City junior Jackson Molstead had a game-high 14 points, and senior Mike Cranshaw added 13 for the Comets (1-1), who also got 9 points off the bench from Marcus Cranshaw, who shot 3 of 3 from 3-point land.

After the Comets’ went up 12-10 after one quarter before the score was tied at 22-22, Charles City had a hard time getting away from Algona to start the second half.

Rather, it looked as if the Bulldogs were going to pull away.

When Bulldog sophomore Collin Bleich completed a 3-point play, it gave Algona a 28-24 lead midway through the third quarter. But when Tait Arndt hit an 8-footer in the lane after using a low screen from Cade Hemesath to get open, it put Charles City up 30-29.

The Comets would never trail or be tied from that point on as subsequent 3-pointers hit by brothers Marcus and Mike Cranshaw extend the lead to 42-34.

Charles City will be back in action with a Monday road game against Clear Lake. The varsity game starts at approximately 7:45 p.m.

* Earlier in the girls varsity game, Algona defeated Charles City 67-23.

Molly McCauley had a game-high 12 points to lead the Bulldogs (2-1)

The Comets (0-3) struggled to get their offense going as they were limited to 6 points in the first half before picking it up in the third quarter, where they scored 12.

Charles City’s girls will travel to New Hampton on Tuesday for their first Northeast Iowa Conference game.