The Arlington girls basketball team beat both West Point-Beemer and Columbus Lakeview to start the season.
“My teammates said it best — we're hungry. We want more,” junior Britt Nielsen Nielsen said after Saturday's victory. “Yes, we're 2-0, but that's not the state tournament. That's not a state championship. We want to go to the state tournament.”
The Eagles took their most-recent step toward their goal with a 60-43 home win against the Vikings. Nielsen led the way, scoring 12 of her 25 points during AHS' 36-23 second half showing.
Coach Tashia Wolf's team had built a 24-13 first-half lead, but watched as Lakeview ended the second period on a 7-0 run.
“Really we just got in that locker room and we were all really discouraged,” Nielsen said. “And coach just came in there and fired us up.”
It worked as the Eagles scored the first four points of the second half.
“We just took it from there and decided to pick it up a little bit,” Nielsen said with a laugh.
Her team went on a 17-1 run between the third and fourth quarters, too, pushing its lead out further. Senior Austyn Flesner hit a free throw and a inside shot to kick off the run before Nielsen hit the first of her two fourth-period 3s during it.
“Not only was it nice to feel my shots fall, but other people's,” the junior said.
While she had 25 points, sophomore guard Emme Timm added 10 for AHS. Flesner notched eight and Macy Wolf had six, too.
Freshman Hayley Arp — senior Taylor Arp's sister — scored her first two baskets down the stretch as well.
“It's so fun,” Nielsen said of watching her young teammates succeed.
Taylor Greisen, meanwhile, led Lakeview with 15 points in defeat. She made five 3-pointers to reach her final tally.
Eagles best Cadets
Coach Wolf claimed the first win of her AHS tenure Thursday when the Eagles beat West Point-Beemer on the road, 36-21.
Arlington held the Cadets to just six first-half points, building a 14-point lead before the break. It outscored the home team 11-10 in the third, too, before holding it off in the fourth.
Timm led the Eagles with 11 points. The sophomore hit a 3-point shot in the first period and was 4-for-6 from the foul line overall.
Nielsen, meanwhile, added eight AHS points and Wolf had seven.
Campbell Snodgrass led West Point in scoring with seven points as well.
AHS GIRLS HOOPS LINE SCORES
Saturday
Arlington 60, Columbus Lakeview 43
CL (0-2) 5 15 10 13 — 43
AHS (2-0) 13 11 15 21 — 60
Scoring: AHS — Britt Nielsen 25, Emme Timm 10, Austyn Flesner 8, Macy Wolf 6, Taylor Arp 5, Hayley Arp 4, Hailey O'Daniel 2.
CL — Taylor Greisen 15, Kenzie Greisen 9, Cali Bentz 6, Kiara Kula 4, Tayor Helms 3, Calli Helms 3, Hadley Hornung 3.
Friday
Arlington 36, West Point-Beemer 21
AHS (1-0) 9 11 11 5 — 36
WPB (0-1) 2 4 10 5 — 21
Scoring: AHS — Timm 11, Nielsen 8, Wolf 7, Taylor Arp 4, Libby Hegemann 3, Flesner 2, O'Daniel 1.
WPB — Campbell Snodgrass 7, Addison Toelle 6, Allie Kaup 5, Mia Hunke 3.
