Notre Dame girls basketball routs Albia in an emotional win for coach Jim Myers
The Notre Dame High School girls basketball team has been through an emotional wringer the last three days.
Their beloved coach, Jim Myers, died late Friday night after a seven-year battle with a rare form of cancer. The team went to church together Sunday to show their support for the family.
On Monday, less than 72 hours after Myers died, the Nikes came together for their first game without him.
As they came out of the locker room, the Nikes filed single file past their bench to the empty chair next to the scorer's table on which assistant coach Steve Gray placed a picture of Myers, surrounded by his team. One by one, the Nikes laid a flower on the now-vacant chair once occupied by the emotional leader of their team.
More: Levins: Jim Myers' legacy lives on in the lives he impacted on and off the basketball court
With Myers gone, the Nikes learned to lean on one another.
After a slow start, Class 1A's seventh-ranked Notre Dame pulled together for a 62-32 victory over Albia at Father Minett Gymnasium.
This game — and the remainder of the season — is for Myers.
“We did not start out the best," said Notre Dame senior Megan Harrell, who scored a game-high 15 points. "His big thing was effort. Give effort and everything will fall into place. We went down to the locker room and talked about how we all had to give 100 percent and everything will fall into place. I think that happened.”
“It was really hard. I just knew that it was going to take a team effort to get through this and we would have to rely on each other for support," said junior Gabby Deery, who tossed in 14 points. “It was definitely very emotional, but since we came together as a team, we’re in this together. That makes it so much easier.”
“It was really emotional at the start. We all wanted to play this game for Jim. I just wanted to do my part and everybody else was doing their part, too," said sophomore guard Lauren Krieger, who sank three 3-pointers. “It was really tough. We made sure to lean on each other. It was really hard, but we all just came together.”
With Myers gone, Corey Stephens stepped in as interim coach. He picked up his first career win. But like the players, Stephens is dedicating it all to Myers.
“I’m not even thinking about that. I just want these girls to keep playing hard. This is all for them and Jim. I come last," said Stephens, who celebrated his birthday on Monday. “Just trying to make sure the girls are okay, knowing what they’re doing and dealing with any kind of grieving that they have. Knowing that we are going to do this for Jim. This year is going to be for him.”
Notre Dame (2-0) came out sluggish in the beginning, a combination of emotions, trying too hard and trying to figure out Albia's press-breaker. The Nikes turned an 11-7 first quarter lead into a 32-14 advantage by halftime.
More high school basketball: What we learned in Notre Dame's season-opening boys basketball loss to Albia
The third quarter is one which would have made Myers proud. The Nikes turned up their defensive pressure, forcing six turnovers on Albia's first eight possessions. The Nikes turned that into a 12-0 run to break the game wide open.
“We decided to pick it up and give it all of our effort," Deery said. "We started bringing the ball around, swinging it and working it and everything started panning out.”
“I think at the beginning we were pushing really hard because we wanted to play our best for him," Krieger said. "Once we relaxed and calmed down and played our game, it all went smoothly.”
It was the start of what the Nikes hope will be a special season in memory of Myers, who meant the world to them.
“I learned a lot from Coach. When I came to Burlington Notre Dame last year, I started to lose the love for basketball. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to play in college. I was at that point," Harrell said. "I came in for my junior summer and I immediately knew things were going to change. He knew how to construct all of us. He knew how to put a team together. I’m trying my best to keep his word in the game and continue to do what he would want us to do.”
“It’s been hard," Krieger said. "Jim’s only been my high school coach for two years now, but I’ve taken lessons from him. I’ve played with the varsity in their summer league, so he’s really given me my love for the game of basketball. I owe that to him.”
“We all know that he is always with us and by us. He’s still coaching us," Deery said.
“He would have been yelling a few times on some of their offensive rebounds. But for the most part he’s looking down on us smiling right now," Stephens said.
ALBIA (32)
Juliana Brown 1-3 0-0 2, Ayana Thomas 1-5 0-0 2, Emma Bradley 0-4 1-3 1, Sophie Waber 6-10 1-2 16, Paige Kidney 1-3 0-0 2, Rebecca Spinler 2-4 0-1 4, Lexi Jones 0-5 0-0 0, Maia Paxton 1-2 1-1 3, Peyton Popson 1-3 0-1 2, Katelynm Scieszinski 0-0 0-0 0, Aliaya Myers 0-2 0-0 0. Totals: 13-41 3-8 32.
NOTRE DAME (62)
Reagan Engberg 1-6 0-0 3, Taryn Stephens 2-4 0-0 6, Megan Harrell 6-16 1-7 15, Gabby Deery 7-11 0-0 14, Lauren Krieger 3-5 0-0 9, Abby Korschgen 1-1 0-2 2, Anna Engberg 0-2 2-2 2, Maddy Mosena 3-6 0-0 7, Ava Parkins 0-0 0-0 0, Amelia Morghan 1-2 0-0 3, Addison Reid 0-1 0-0 0, Nadiya Jones 0-0 1-4 1, Lexi Korschgen 0-0 0-0 0, Madalynn Knapp 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 24-54 4-15 62.
Score by quarters
Albia. 7. 7. 8 10. — 32
Notre Dame. 11. 21. 20. 10. — 62
Fouls: Albia 11, Notre Dame 15. Fouled out: None. Technicals: None. 3-point goals: Albia 3-16 (Waber 3-4, Paxton 0-1, Popson 0-1, Brown 0-2, Myers 0-2, Bradley 0-3, Jones 0-3), Notre Dame 10-26 (Krieger 3-5, Stephens 2-3, Harrell 2-6, Morgan 1-2, Mosena 1-3, R.Engberg 1-4, Reid 0-1, A.Engberg 0-2).
Records: Albia 1-1, Notre Dame 2-0.
This article originally appeared on The Hawk Eye: Class 1A's seventh-ranked Notre Dame dedicates win to their late coach
