The Perry boys topped their season-best offensive output by 17 points Tuesday, filling the baskets for 77 points. The chief benefit of the sudden surge in productivity was to keep their final deficit to under 30 points, as powerhouse Norwalk blistered the nylon for a whopping 105 points to easily win their non-conference meeting.
Norwalk (6-0) is third in all classes with 537 total points and second overall (North Linn averages over 93 points an outing) with an average per-game clip of 89.5 points. The Warriors reached the century-mark for the second time this year, having opened their campaign with a 101-75 win over Ballard.
To the great credit of the Bluejays, the hosts never quit battling, with players fighting for rebounds and loose balls and providing the best defense they could offer to the final horn.
It mattered (so far as the outcome was concerned) not one bit, as Norwalk had five players hit for double-digits. Only Boone, who fell to the Warriors, 87-75, Saturday, has been able to provide any kind of danger in the final frame to Tuesday’s guests.
Norwalk was off to a 30-20 lead after one quarter and led, 57-41, at the intermission. Perry (1-5) continued to score at their best clip of the season, but Norwalk was always one or two steps ahead and entered the final frame with an 83-61 advantage en route to the win.
Connor Nielsen led the Jays with 23 points, with Rashon Ivory adding 20 points and Drew Levan 10. Brendan Ivory had eight points and Mark Campos four, with Tanner Duffy and Brandon Kenyon each adding three points. Keghan West and Devon Booth scored two points apiece, with Luke Rathje and Michael Meyer each sinking a free throw.
Perry finished the contest 16-of-26 at the foul line, with Norwalk draining 28-of-36 from the stripe. The Jays were whistled 25 fouls and the Warriors for 20.
Daniel Geistler had 26 points, Bowen Born 24, Blake Johnson 17, Luke Vaske 14 and Tyler Endres 11 to pace the visitors. Tyler Johnson had four points, Scott Anderson three and Blake Castaneda, Cooper Beving and Carson Raper two apiece.
Vaske finished with an impressive 17 assists. He added six rebounds as well, with Born and Geistler each clearing six boards.
Perry visits ADM Friday and Winterset Tuesday, with a visit from Ogden Dec. 21 the final pre-holiday action on the hardwood.
