Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Brody Maehl of Fort Dodge scores against Ames on Friday night in the Dodger gym. For more photos, please visit CU.messengernews.net

The Fort Dodge boys are not in the business of moral victories.

Matched up against a 10th-ranked (Class 4A) Ames team here Friday night inside the Dodger gym that boasted a roster filled with tall and athletic players, that is what FDSH head coach Willie Williams had to settle for.

The Little Cyclones raced out to a 25-4 lead in posting a 72-44 victory over Fort Dodge, completing the season sweep.

Manny Lueth had 14 points, Marach Dau added 13, Garang Deng had 11 and Abram Vos 10 to pace a balanced Ames (15-2 overall, 7-0 in the IAC North) attack.

Lueth, Deng and Dau are just three of the six players that the Little Cyclones have who are 6-foot-3 or taller, with Dau and fellow junior DJ Bijiek each checking in at 6-8. The Dodgers (4-12, 2-6) have just one player — freshman reserve Brody Maehl — at 6-4 or taller.

“We put up a fight and I’m proud of the guys for that,” Williams said. “It can be tough to do after falling behind like we did (early), but we battled and played hard throughout.

“You can’t give a team like Ames a 21-point lead after the first (quarter) and expect to make it a (competitive) game. They are too good.”

Reggie Pederson, a ninth-grader, had 10 points with four rebounds for Fort Dodge, while senior Cade Westerhoff added nine and six. Maehl finished with eight points and five boards, while junior Tytrell Mosley added five points and two steals.

All five Ames starters scored in the opening eight minutes, including five by ex-Fort Dodge Dodger Jamison Poe. Lueth added six off the bench, showing his range with one of his four 3-pointers on the evening.

“We can’t let this loss follow us into (this) week,” Williams said. “We have a big week starting Sunday at practice. That is our focus…we just have to continue to work to get better.”

After a tough first quarter, Fort Dodge played the Little Cyclones nearly even until late in the fourth when the visitors again turned on the jets.

The Dodgers host Urbandale (4-9) on Monday before heading to seventh-ranked (Class 3A) Storm Lake (12-1) Thursday and Des Moines North (9-4) on Friday.

AMES 72, FORT DODGE 44

Fort Dodge — Carter Woodruff 1 0-0 2, Cade Westerhoff 4 1-1 9, Taevon Feeley 2 0-0 4, Reggie Pederson 4 2-2 10, Kauner Jensen 0 0-0 0, Hayden Zuspann 1 0-0 2, Tisyn Hook 0 0-0 0, Tayven Altman 2 0-0 4, Brody Maehl 4 0-0 8, Tytrell Mosley 2 1-2 5, Gavin Davis 0 0-0 0, Carter Morris 0 0-0 0. Totals: 20 4-5 44.

Ames — Jamison Poe 3 3-4 9, Isaiah Knight 2 0-0 4, Will Thomas 2 0-0 5, Abram Vos 3 3-4 10, Marach Dau 4 5-7 13, Manny Lueth 6 1-2 14, Isaiah Knight 0 0-0 0, Brandon Johnson 0 0-0 0, Garang Deng 5 0-2 11, DJ Bijiek 0 0-0 0, Luke Brekke 0 0-0 0, Finley DeLisi 1 0-0 3, Trevor Goodwin 0 0-0 0, Cole Swartz 0 0-0 0, Isaac Bivins 0 0-0 0. Totals: 26 12-19 72.

Quarter scores: Ames led 25-4, 36-17, 50-25. Three-point goals: Fort Dodge 0, Ames 8 (Thomas 1, Vos 1, Lueth 4, Deng 1, DeLsi 1). Total rebounds: Fort Dodge 29, Ames 27. Steals: Fort Dodge 6, Ames 14. Blocked shots: Fort Dodge 1, Ames 4. Turnovers: Fort Dodge 22, Ames 9. Team fouls: Fort Dodge 19, Ames 8.