The Norwalk basketball teams entered the two-week holiday break on a high note Tuesday night, sweeping a girl-boy doubleheader at Des Moines Lincoln.

The Warrior girls improved to 2-5 with a commanding 58-32 win over the Rails. The Warrior boys then rode Jack Brown’s five first-quarter threes to a quick 27-14 lead and held off Lincoln 63-55, improving to 4-2. Both games were broadcast live on 94.3 KNIA.

The Norwalk girls, who have lost four games to state-ranked opponents so far this season, pressured Lincoln into numerous turnovers on the night and got out of the gates well in both halves. The Warriors outscored the Rails 15-6 in the first quarter and 20-7 in the third, making eight 3-pointers as a team.

Sophomore Bailey Birmingham hit four of those treys and led all scorers with 23 points. Classmate Braelyn Clark added a pair of threes and also scored off the dribble to tally 13 of her 16 points after halftime. Senior Kaylee Cary chipped in seven points and sophomore Avery Thomas had five. Carlee Julius led the Rails with 15.

The Norwalk boys have now won four of their last five following Tuesday’s hard-fought win over a physical and scrappy opponent. Brown was the story early on, drilling five straight long-range shots to help the Warriors build a 13-point advantage. Lincoln rallied back several times during the final three periods but Norwalk always had an answer.

Warrior head coach Aaron Pelzer called the victory an important one for his team as they look to build confidence and improve during the Christmas break. He praised the Warriors’ ability to handle Lincoln’s aggressive pressure and traps early, using quick ball movement to set the table for Brown’s early barrage. The Norwalk senior entered the night shooting 5-for-22 from beyond the arc but was 5-for-5 in the first quarter.

“That’s how Jack shoots in practice every day… so it’s just a matter of time,” Pelzer said. “We’ve been telling him, ‘Just keep taking good shots,’ and he never takes a bad shot. I think that’s probably a little closer to the Jack that we see on a daily basis.”

Redek Born finished as Norwalk’s top scorer with 19 points, followed by Brown with 17, Braeden Carlson 14 and Aidan Harder 11. Carlson’s work on the offensive boards was key in the second half. Defensively, the Warriors did a great job as a team in holding Lincoln’s top player, Trovary Cavil, to 13 points. Deng Gai led the Rails with four three-pointers and 14 points before fouling out with 6:59 remaining. Lincoln hit 11 threes as a team.

Both Norwalk squads will return to action on Tuesday, January 3, hosting Dallas Center-Grimes.