Tuesday's basketball game between Marshalltown and Des Moines Lincoln was a thrilling encounter with both teams showcasing their skills on the court. Kyle Smith of MHS led the Bobcats with an impressive 30 points, making six 3-pointers and scoring 22 in the second half. However, turnovers and defensive lapses proved costly as the Railsplitters emerged victorious with a 59-51 score.

Coach's Perspective

MHS head coach Michael Appel pointed out the areas where his team struggled. "There were a lot of uncontested shots for them. Whether they were going to the rim and we weren't getting in front of them, not contesting the open threes, or the turnovers to get them out in transition for easy baskets, you take away a lot of those easy ones and it's a different game." Appel also took the blame for not going to more pressure defense late in the game, where Marshalltown had a chance to gain some momentum with turnovers.

Player Performances

Kyle Smith's scoring was a highlight, but Drake Gersema also contributed nine points as one of the new faces in the Bobcat rotation. "Drake did a great job at the point for us, and Jamison [Niehouse] gave us some great minutes as well," Appel said. "Will Swartz, Arion Hancock, Adam Boone, you go down the line that's a lot of guys playing a lot of varsity minutes for the first time, and their buy-in is there. They want to get better, they want to improve."

Second Half Rally

In the second half, Marshalltown managed to rally from a 27-20 halftime deficit to a brief 34-31 lead midway through the third quarter. Smith's 14 points in the third quarter were crucial in this comeback attempt. But the Railsplitters closed the third quarter on an 8-3 run and outscored the Bobcats 11-4 to start the fourth quarter, preventing Marshalltown from getting within eight points the rest of the night.

Looking Ahead

The Bobcats now head to Newton on Thursday for the first of a back-to-back road series. "We've got to learn from this and make some corrections and be ready and prepared for Newton on Thursday," Appel said. The team will analyze the game and make the necessary adjustments to perform better in their next match.DM LINCOLN (1-0) — Lionel Parks 3 1-1 7, Sullivan Suarez Quilty 1 0-0 3, Desmon Campbell 5 4-6 16, Mike Mitchell 3 0-0 9, Charles Fry 5 1-2 11, Manas Gai 0 0-0 0, Juju Brown 1 2-2 4, Bryce Page 3 0-0 8, Keaton Wikoff-Harris 0 1-2 1. TOTALS 21 9-13 59.MARSHALLTOWN (0-1) — Drake Gersema 4 0-0 9, Kyle Smith 10 4-4 30, LaMar Johnson 2 1-2 5, Jacob Hayes 1 0-0 3, Arion Hancock 0 0-0 0, Jamison Niehouse 1 0-0 2, Adam Boone 0 0-0 0, Will Swartz 1 0-0 2. TOTALS 19 5-6 51.DM LINCOLN 13 14 12 20 — 59MHS 11 9 17 14 — 513-Point Goals–Lincoln 8 (Mitchell 3, Campbell 2, Page 2, Suarez Quilty), MHS 8 (Smith 6, Gersema, Hayes). Team Fouls–Lincoln 9, MHS 13. Fouled Out–none.