Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Brody Maehl of Fort Dodge shoots against Marshalltown on Tuesday night. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

Some may see the Fort Dodge boys basketball team’s record and assume this has become a lost season.

The effort the Dodgers showed on Tuesday proved that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Fort Dodge dug deep with its back against the wall late, holding rival Marshalltown without a field goal for the final four-plus minutes in a 43-42 revenge victory over the Bobcats.

The win snapped an 11-game losing streak for the Dodgers (2-13 overall), who hadn’t prevailed since a road victory over Spencer on December 5. The players enjoyed the moment with an on-court celebration that spilled into a lively locker room, which matched the energy and intensity head coach Willie Williams’ squad brought to the table all night long.

“We just kept fighting and really got after it — even when things weren’t going our way,” Williams said. “It’s great to see the kids supporting each other and staying together. No one has had the kind of season they’ve wanted to so far, but they keep coming in every day and working hard. They bring good attitudes and refuse to let our record (dictate) how we approach the game.

“It would be easy to cash it in, but our guys are showing character and toughness. And they were rewarded with a ‘W’ (Tuesday).”

Fort Dodge came to play, feeding 6-foot-6 post player Brody Maehl early and often in going up 7-4 on seven straight Maehl points. That opened things up on the perimeter for senior Hayden Zuspann, who knocked down consecutive three-pointers for a 13-6 Dodger advantage.

The Bobcats, who were 9-5 overall and in sole possession of second place in the IAC’s North Division with a 4-1 record before last night, gained the upper-hand for the first time with five minutes left in the first half. Fort Dodge took a one-point lead into the locker room.

The Dodgers stayed within striking distance throughout the third period, but they hit a cold spell at the start of the final frame as Marshalltown went up 40-33 on a Jacob Hayes three-pointer with 4:35 left in regulation. That would be the last basket by the visitors, though, as the Fort Dodge defense buckled down and helped fuel one final rally.

“I thought our defense was really the difference,” Williams said. “We knew we needed to get stops if we wanted to stay in it, and we were tenacious on that end.

“There have been times this season when we’d be in it (on the scoreboard) but go through an offensive (lull) in the third or fourth quarter and things would fall apart. But we kept after it and found a way in this one.”

A Maehl bucket, two Tisyn Hook free throws and a Zuspann triple — his fourth of the evening — capped a 7-0 run to knot the score at 40 with 2:15 to go. Reggie Pederson then found Taevon Feeley for the go-ahead layup almost a minute later.

The Bobcats missed a shot with six seconds remaining that would’ve tied it. The ball caromed off multiple players until Drake Gersema grabbed it and was fouled on a putback attempt with 2.5 seconds left.

Marshalltown’s junior point guard made the first free throw, then missed the second. The Bobcats pulled in the offensive rebound with a chance to win, but the Dodgers got one last defensive stop and the celebration began.

Zuspann had 16 points and Maehl added 14 for FDSH, which lost 55-33 at Marshalltown last month right before Christmas. The Dodgers had a season-low six turnovers in Tuesday’s win.

Hayes and Gersema both led Marshalltown with 15 points, though Hayes missed all but one of his seven triple tries and Gersema was just 3 of 7 at the foul line.

Senior Kyle Smith, a three-year standout and the Bobcats’ top scorer at 14.6 points per contest, was held to 11 on 4 of 12 shooting.

“We got some really good defensive efforts, both individually and as a team,” Williams said. “We went to Brody early and worked it inside out. He played great. Hayden hit some big shots. We got solid minutes from Tisyn (Hook) off the bench.

“Tytrell (Mosley) got after it on defense. That’s where we set the tone.”

Fort Dodge returns to action at home on Thursday against Mason City, followed by a road trip to sixth-ranked (Class 4A) Ames on Friday.

FORT DODGE 43, MARSHALLTOWN 42

Fort Dodge — Hayden Zuspann 6-10 0-0 16, Brody Maehl 5-9 4-6 14, Reggie Pederson 1-12 3-4 5, Taevon Feeley 1-4 1-2 3, Tytrell Mosley 1-5 0-0 2, Tisyn Hook 0-3 3-4 3, Kauner Jensen 0-0 0-0 0, Gavin Davis 0-0 0-0 0, Karter Hemrick 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 14-43 11-16 43.

Marshalltown — Jacob Hayes 6-14 2-3 15, Drake Gersema 6-10 3-7 15, Kyle Smith 4-12 0-0 11, Jamison Niehouse 0-2 1-2 1, Damian Segovia 0-3 0-0 0, Oliver Young 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 16-42 6-12 42.

Quarter scores: Fort Dodge led 15-10, 24-23; Marshalltown led 35-32. Three-point goals: Fort Dodge 4-9 (Zuspann 4-7, Mosley 0-1, Pederson 0-1); Marshalltown 4-16 (Smith 3-6, Hayes 1-7, Gersema 0-1, Niehouse 0-1, Segovia 0-1). Turnovers: Fort Dodge 6, Marshalltown 5. Total fouls: Fort Dodge 10, Marshalltown 9.