Frankie Long

FORT DODGE — The 12th-ranked defense in Class 5A couldn’t atone for the 39th-ranked offense, and the Marshalltown girls’ basketball team saw its losing streak stretch to seven games as a result.

The Bobcats were held to fewer than 35 points for the seventh game in a row and fell 43-29 to Fort Dodge on Friday night in Iowa Alliance Conference North Division play. Marshalltown (5-12, 0-6) was held to single-digit scoring in three of four quarters and couldn’t catch the Dodgers once they pulled away.

Fort Dodge (8-10, 2-5) led 22-17 at halftime and neither team scored for the first three minutes of the second half. The Dodgers scored 11 points over the final five minutes of the period and put the game away from there.

“A night-and-day difference from the first time we played them,” MHS head coach Brian Murphy said. “And for the second straight game, we put forth a ferocious defensive effort but couldn’t maintain consistency on offense.”

LJ Maehl scored a game-high 16 points to pace the Dodgers, knocking down four 3-pointers along the way. Mackenzie McIlrath added 13 points as Fort Dodge won its 10th straight in the series.

Ellie Hughes scored a team-leading 10 points to go with six rebounds for Marshalltown. Frankie Long had nine points, 13 rebounds and five blocked shots, which ranks as the third-most blocks in a single game in school history according to Murphy.

“Overall, this game represents our second straight game where we’ve regained our identity from earlier in the year,” Murphy added. “When our defense plays well, we give ourselves a shot in every game.”

Marshalltown ranks 12th out of 40 teams in 5A by allowing just 44.18 points per game, but that’s 15 more than its 39th-ranked scoring average.

The Bobcats continue their road swing with Monday’s game at Des Moines Hoover and Tuesday’s trip to Ames. MHS ends the regular season next Friday at Waterloo East.

Fort Dodge 43, Marshalltown 29

MARSHALLTOWN (5-13, 0-6) — Kinsley Bowie 0 0-0 0, Millie Heitmann 1 1-2 3, Sydney Kapayou 1 0-0 2, Ellie Hughes 5 0-0 10, Frankie Long 4 1-5 9, Amairra Johnson 0 2-2 2, Tania Mora 1 0-0 3. TOTALS 12 4-9 29.

FORT DODGE (8-10, 2-5) — Mackenzie McIlrath 3 5-6 13, Ashlyn Wills 0 2-4 2, Destinee Phillips 0 0-0 0, Brooklyn Pommer 2 0-1 5, LJ Maehl 6 0-0 16, Dakota Pommer 2 0-0 5, Addison Lentsch 0 0-0 0, Janelle Derrig 0 0-0 0, Emma Lloyd 1 0-0 2, Bella Lee 0 0-0 0, Ellie Doster 0 0-0 0. TOTALS 14 7-11 43.

MHS 10 7 4 8 — 29

FORT DODGE 10 12 11 10 — 43

3-Point Goals–MHS 1 (Mora), Fort Dodge 8 (Maehl 4, McIlrath 2, D. Pommer, B. Pommer). Team Fouls–MHS 13, Fort Dodge 14. Fouled Out–none.