Gladbrook-Reinbeck sophomore guard Lauren Boyer shoots over a pair of Sumner-Fredericksburg defenders during the second half of Monday’s basketball game in Reinbeck. The Rebels fell to the visiting Cougars, 51-32. Photo by Noah Rohlfing

For one half Monday, Gladbrook-Reinbeck girls’ basketball played what coach Amber Gerringer was its best half of the season against Sumner-Fredericksburg. The Rebels trailed 23-18 but the shot selection was there, as was the defense.

“I thought we played the best basketball in that first half that we’d played all season,” Gerringer said. “That was the ideal half we could have put together for this game.

“I think the second half was just a story of us being tired and playing at a level that we weren’t used to playing at.”

The second half was a different story, and the visiting Cougars (8-3) walked out with a 51-32 win. G-R’s loss drops it to 6-7 on the season.

Neither team got off to a hot start offensively, with the score tied at 4-4 over halfway through the opening quarter. Six points from Lauren Boyer led the way as the Rebels held a slim 10-9 lead following the first eight minutes.

Photo by Noah Rohlfing

A big 3-pointer from senior guard Mahayla Olson gave G-R a 17-13 lead, its largest of the game. But in the final five minutes of the first half, the Cougars would go on a 10-1 run and wrestle the lead away. Olson’s shot was the only made 3-pointer of the day for the Rebels.

G-R got within one and kept up, with the score 25-24 three minutes into the quarter. But another big run from the Cougars ballooned the gap to 38-26.

No Rebels player scored in double figures — Megan Cooley, Olson and Katie Clark scored seven points apiece, while Boyer finished with six. Sumner-Fredericksburg’s size inside created a tough matchup for the Rebels, who generally rely on their size to create easy offense.

When the score was 46-28, it was clear it just wasn’t going to be G-R’s night. Gerringer said it was clear that once the shots stopped falling it was going to be very difficult for the Rebels to keep up.

“They’re a hard matchup for us,” Gerringer said. “When we’re hitting shots in the first half, it’s good, but they make some good adjustments defensively to what we were trying to do on offense and where we were trying to go.

Photo by Noah Rohlfing

When shots are falling it’s good, when you’re not, it’s rough.”

Now, the Rebels face a quick turnaround — a Tuesday night matchup with Waterloo Columbus Catholic at 6:15 p.m in Reinbeck.

Sumner-Fredericksburg 51, Gladbrook-Reinbeck 32

SUMNER-FREDERICKSBURG (8-3) — Alivia Lange 5 0-0 12, Kayla Paulus 1 0-0 2, Isabelle Elliott 3 0-0 6, Morgan Brandt 6 5-5 17, Katie Reno 1 0-0 2, Saela Steege 1 0-0 3, Jana Meyer 1 0-0 2, Natalie Miller 0 0-0 0, Adylyn Westendorf 0 0-0 0, Alivia Seehase 0 0-0 0, Lily Buchholz 3 0-0 7, Abby Zabel 0 0-0 0, Emma Koester 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 21 5-5 51.

GLADBROOK-REINBECK (6-7) — Mahayla Olson 3 0-0 7, Katie Clark 3 1-2 7, Lauren Boyer 3 0-0 6, Megan Cooley 2 3-4 7, Karlie Rickert 0 0-0 0, Xandra Anderson 0 0-0 0, Madison Resendez 1 0-0 2, Aliyah Clark 0 0-0 0, Lily Dripps 1 1-4 3, Naomi Clark 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 13 5-10 32.