A pair of high-caliber opponents brought the Vermilion Ironhawks back down to earth.
Flying high after three straight decisive wins to open the season, the community college women’s basketball team crashed over the weekend in North Dakota.
NJCAA Division I schools Williston State and Lake Region both roughed up the Ironhawks, combining for 225 points in 113-31 and 112-44 blowouts.
Vermilion fell to 3-2 while facing a whole new level of competition. The Ironhawks compete at the NJCAA Division III level.
“They’re good,” Vermilion Head Coach Ryan Zyla said of the competition. “You start running into scholarship players and they play winning basketball every play. I thought on day one we got a little overwhelmed, and then on day two we were down 22-17 midway through the second quarter, and then I felt like there was kind of a lid on the basket.”
Williston State forced 46 Vermilion turnovers in Saturday’s matchup, and the Ironhawks were put away early.
It was 24-8 after one quarter and 53-12 at the break.
Vermilion shot just 23 percent from the floor overall and two-for-21 from threepoint range.
Sophomore Tamia Cahee was the only Vermilion player to reach double digits with 10 points and freshman Heavynn Eagle came off the bench to add eight more.
Six Tetons scored in double figures with Dani Jordan pouring in 19 for a teamhigh.
The Ironhawks were within five points early in the second quarter against Lake Region, but the Royals went on a big run and pulled ahead 46-23 by halftime.
The hosts erupted for 36 points in the third quarter and 66 in the half.
Vermilion, meanwhile, made only four-of-28 threepoint baskets and freshman Trinity Bodie had a teambest 10 points and Alyria Greene was next with eight.
Lara Graham and Zola Austin combined for 43 points for the winners.
Despite the lopsided scores, Zyla saw some positives with the weekend.
“Number one, it’s kind of building our program,” he said. “We want to get our players opportunities at those levels and it’s big to allow them to see it and play against it and see what that level is like. And number two, I like to play good competition in the first semester and I tend to think it will help us play our best basketball when it matters most.”
It doesn’t figure to get easier for the Ironhawks, who were set for a matchup with Anoka-Ramsey, the top-ranked Division III team in the nation, in a contest that took place in Hibbing Friday after the Echo went to press. Vermilion also meets Riverland Saturday and has a road trip Nov. 21-22 at Fergus Falls and St. Cloud.
“Anoka will be a great challenge to us and we’re excited for that one,” said Zyla, “And I expect Riverland will give us a tougher game.”
