The Norwalk girls and boys basketball teams swept a varsity doubleheader vs. Lewis Central on Tuesday night in games heard live on 94.3 KNIA and the KNIA3 stream. Also on Tuesday, the Norwalk boys wrestling team won two out of three duals at the Newton Quad.
Warriors sweep Titans
The Class 4A fourth-ranked Warriors girls basketball team leaned on defense and rebounding to defeat Lewis Central 60-28, avenging a pair of close losses to the Titans last season. Norwalk struggled offensively in the first half. They trailed 6-2 after five minutes and led 8-6 after one quarter. The Warriors gradually increased their lead in the second and third periods before outscoring LC 25-8 in the fourth, converting a series of baskets directly off turnovers.
Senior Bailey Birmingham knocked down three 3-pointers and led the Norwalk girls with 19 points. Freshman Braylyn Birmingham scored 14 points, followed by Pearl Brown with 11 and Ava Carlson nine. Brooke Larsen paced LC with nine points, but was held to half of her season average.
The Norwalk boys basketball team won their fourth straight game and handed Lewis Central its first defeat by a final of 62-46. The Warriors led 19-13 after one quarter and pitched a shutout in the second stanza to go into halftime up 32-13. They extended the margin to 38-13 early in the third, but LC erupted for 15 straight points on a barrage of 3-pointers and three-point plays. Their lead cut to 10, the Warriors regrouped and did not allow the Titans within single digits the rest of the game.
Tim Koerselman led Norwalk with three treys and 17 points while Grady Sigrist had 16 points, Cameron Thomas 10 and Jack Larson eight. Both teams connected on seven 3-pointers.
The Norwalk girls improved to 7-0 and the boys are now 4-1. The Warriors return to Little Hawkeye Conference play on Friday night at Indianola.
Norwalk Wrestling now 4-1
The Warrior wrestlers finished 2-1 at the Newton Quad meet. They defeated Newton 75-6 and handled Southeast Warren 68-11 while losing to Class 3A fifth-ranked Carlisle 56-23.
Three Norwalk wrestlers went 3-0 on the night. Kolton Bocherding-Johnson recorded three pins at 285, Dominic Tigner had a pin, a technical fall and a major decision at 157, and 120-pounder Madox Ward added two pins and a win by forfeit. Warriors with two wins included Troy Finnegan, Jaxon Stoulil, Kale Wadle, Blake Lee, Liam McLaughlin, Kadan Borcherding-Johnson, Tyler Stanford, Victor Esparza and Harrison Tripp.
Norwalk is now 4-1 overall and 3-0 in Little Hawkeye Conference duals. The Warriors will compete in the Battle of Waterloo tournament on Friday and Saturday.