The ADM girls basketball team was in action last night for game two of the new season looking to extend one of their longest winning streaks against a single team. That winning streak on the line was the six consecutive winning streak against the Van Meter Lady Bulldogs.

Certainly a much more favorable match up on paper for ADM winning all 6 prior meetings and averaging 54 points per contest against Van Meter in the process, however, the match up on paper didn’t stand up to the actual game contest last night as ADM would fall to Van Meter by the final score of 60-41.

Un-like the prior six meetings ADM came out of the starting gate sluggish scoring just 4 first quarter points while ending the half by adding just 7 more points for a halftime score of 35-11. It was Sydney Bertman who led the charge in the first half scoring 8 of the team’s 11 first half points. Defensively, ADM got burned in the first half by 10 first half point from the reigning West Central Activities Conference all-star Mackenzie Roberts.

While the second half saw some improvement for ADM, it would not be fully shown until the fourth quarter. ADM saw the 24 point halftime deficit balloon into a 30 point deficit in the third quarter but when the fourth quarter rolled around the Lady Tigers had cut the lead down to 19. The Lady Tigers defensively in the second half still had no true answer for Roberts who expanded her shooting arsenal by connecting on two three point buckets in the second half on her way to leading Van Meter in scoring with 24 total points.

Most of the second half scoring was also accomplished by Sydney Bertman scoring 15 of her 23 points in the second half alone. She ended the night as the teams leading scorer with those 23 points while shooting efficiently from the free throw line going 9/12 from the charity stripe. She also led the team in rebounding with a double digit rebounding effort. Most of the points for ADM came in or near the paint as the Lady Tiger connected on just three 3pt buckets while defensively unable to stop Van Meter’s perimeter threat allowing 8 three point shots to fall overall.

One of ADM’s strengths from last season was not very prominent last night with the Lady Tigers sending just 3 players to the free throw line the entire night, the bulk of those coming from Sydney Bertman giving ADM just 10 points off free throws.

The Lady Tigers will now look to rest and regroup as they prepare for their next match up on the road next Monday in Pella. They will be taking on a Pella Christian team who defeated Van Meter in their first game by a 43-56 final. That game for the Lady Tigers kicks off from Pella Christian High School Monday, beginning at 7:30 pm.