Monday's Gazette photo galleries
» Vinton-Shellsburg vs. Estherville Lincoln Central
Monday's Gazette photo galleries
» Vinton-Shellsburg vs. Estherville Lincoln Central
Solon rallies late, joins the Wamac party in the 3A semifinals
Of course, the Solon Spartans have a star.
But it would be foolish to call them a one-trick pony.
Kobi Lietz ascended to co-star status in the regional finals. Monday night, it was Hailey Miller’s turn.
Benton breaks through with its first state-tournament win
One-and-done had been done before. Maybe overdone.
Not this time. Introduce yourself to Benton’s breakthrough bunch.
State stunner: Vinton-Shellsburg snaps ELC’s 38-game win streak
DES MOINES — He told you so.
Before Vinton-Shellsburg’s first state-tournament game in 24 years, Coach Rich Haisman could be heard in the Wells Fargo Arena tunnel, announcing to a bystander:
“We’re winning this game.”
Haisman believed. The Vikettes believed. And, by golly, they did it.
Final: Solon 54, Dubuque Wahlert 46
No. 2 Solon (23-2) made it a 3-0 day for the Wamac Conference, closing on a 13-2 run to beat No. 8 Dubuque Wahlert (18-7) in the nightcap.
Hailey Miller scored the go-ahead basket with 2:58 left and scored a game-high 21 points. Iowa commit Callie Levin finished with 19 points, including back-to-back 3-pointers that tied it at 44 in the fourth quarter.
Solon will play in the semifinals at 3:15 p.m. Thursday. It won't know its opponent until late Tuesday morning.
Hailey Miller scores inside to give Solon a 46-44 lead with 2:58 to go.
Solon's Callie Levin ties it from deep. It's 44-44 with 3:32 left. Timeout Wahlert.
The 3A games have been so much more dramatic than the 5As.
End 3rd: Dubuque Wahlert 35, Solon 34
Wahlert went on an 11-3 run to take the lead. Olivia Donovan's putback at the horn put the Golden Eagles in front going into the fourth.
Half: Solon 29, Dubuque Wahlert 22
The Spartans made 5 of 8 3-point attempts in the first half, while the Golden Eagles were 0-for-3.
End 1st: Solon 18, Dubuque Wahlert 13
Hailey Miller scored eight points in the first quarter for the Spartans.
Final: Benton Community 40, Des Moines Christian 34
Benton Community (22-3) earned its first win in its fifth trip to the girls' state basketball tournament. The Bobcats raced to an 18-point lead and held on. No. 5 Des Moines Christian (21-4) got as close as four late in the fourth quarter.
Benton all-time leading scorer Jenna Twedt scored a game-high 16 points.
The Bobcats will face Wamac rival Vinton-Shellsburg in the semifinals at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
Kaitlyn Mumm just misses a 3 that would have cut it to one.
Benton calls time, up 38-34 and in possession, and trying to hold on for dear life with 1:40 left.
End 3rd: Benton Community 36, Des Moines Christian 25
DMC scored the first six of the third quarter and closed within 29-22. Benton, which led by 18 in the first half, ended the quarter with a much-needed surge.
Half: Benton Community 26, Des Moines Christian 11
Benton forced six turnovers in the first half while giving it up just once. DMC shot 4-for-17 from the field. Jenna Twedt had nine points for the Bobcats.
End 1st: Benton Community 17, Des Moines Christian 5
Fast start for the Bobcats. Meanwhile, the Lions had a 2-for-10 opening quarter.
Final: Vinton-Shellsburg 54, Estherville-Lincoln Central 46
No. 10 Vinton-Shellsburg (18-7) stunned top-ranked, defending state champion Estherville-Lincoln Central (24-1), recovering from a 14-2 first-quarter deficit in the first Class 3A quarterfinal.
Alyssa Griffith paced the Vikettes with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Ashlie Meyer had 12 points, Abby Davis 11. Vinton-Shellsburg didn't take its first lead until the fourth quarter. The Vikettes outscored ELC 25-11 in the fourth.
Vinton-Shellsburg will play in the semifinals at 1:30 p.m. Thursday.
Abby Davis hits two free throws, ELC turns it over. Vinton-Shellsburg up 49-46, 0:27 left.
Hillary Ruschy 3 gets ELC within 47-46. Timeout ELC, 0:48 4th. Vikettes ball.
Alyssa Griffith scores in traffic to give Vinton-Shellsburg a 45-43 lead with 1:27 left.
Vinton-Shellsburg has its first lead on inbounds pass to Kalinda Burke, 38-37 (5:16 4th).
Reminder: BC Moore computer had the Vikettes as 24-point underdogs.
End 3rd: Estherville-Lincoln Central 35, Vinton-Shellsburg 29
ELC extended its lead to 10 in the third quarter, but again Vinton-Shellsburg hung around. Jordyn Stokes' layup at the buzzer pushed the ELC advantage to six.
Half: Estherville-Lincoln Central 20, Vinton-Shellsburg 16
The Vikettes got back in the game with a 14-6 second quarter. They made 6 of 6 free throws.
End 1st: Estherville-Lincoln Central 14, Vinton-Shellsburg 2
Vinton-Shellsburg started 1-for-13 from the field with three turnovers.
Class 5A semifinals set
Thursday's schedue:
No. 2 Johnston (23-1) vs. No. 6 Ankeny Centennial (18-6), 10 a.m.
No. 1 Pleasant Valley (24-0) vs. No. 4 West Des Moines Dowling (20-4), 11:45 a.m.
Final: West Des Moines Dowling 52, Davenport North 38
Ava Zediker totaled 25 points and 12 rebounds to lead No. 4 West Des Moines Dowling (20-4) to its 17th consecutive victory. Fifth-ranked Davenport North (21-3) shot 31 percent, including 1-for-10 from 3-point range.
Dowling will face No. 1 Pleasant Valley in the semifinals at 11:45 a.m. Thursday.
End 3rd: West Des Moines Dowling 38, Davenport North 25
Dowling built the lead to 18 at one point in the third.
Half: West Des Moines Dowling 28, Davenport North 13
Dowling outscored North 15-4 in the second quarter to take a 15-point halftime lead. Ava Zediker had 12 points in the first half, Ellie Muller 10.
End 1st: West Des Moines Dowling 13, Davenport North 9
North scored the first seven points of the game before the Maroons went on a run.
Final: Pleasant Valley 43, West Des Moines Valley 28
Top-ranked Pleasant Valley (24-0) held No. 9 West Des Moines Valley (15-9) to 25-percent shooting in a Class 5A quarterfinal win. Both teams had 16 turnovers, but the Spartans shot 48.4 percent, including making 5 of 8 3-point attempts.
PV will play in the semifinals for the second straight year, Thursday at 11:45 a.m.
Marquette commit Halle Vice scored a game-high 18 points for PV.
End 3rd: Pleasant Valley 35, West Des Moines Valley 24
The Spartans led by as many as 15 points in the third quarter.
Half: Pleasant Valley 24, West Des Moines Valley 16
Halle Vice had 11 points and four rebounds in the first half for the Spartans.
End 1st: Pleasant Valley 14, West Des Moines Valley 6
A fast start for PV, as Valley shot 2-for-10 in the first quarter. Elan Litt's NBA-range 3 at the buzzer ended a 14-0 run.
Catch up: Monday's girls' state basketball quarterfinals
• Second-ranked Solon completed a 3-0 day in the Class 3A quarterfinals for the Wamac Conference, closing on a 13-2 run to beat No. 8 Dubuque Wahlert 54-46.
• No. 4 Benton Community raced to an 18-point lead and held on for a 40-34 Class 3A quarterfinal win over No. 5 Des Moines Christian, its first victory in the girls' state basketball tournament.
• No. 10 Vinton-Shellsburg stunned top-ranked, undefeated, defending Class 3A state champion Estherville-Lincoln Central, recovering from a 14-2 first-quarter deficit for a 54-46 win in the first 3A quarterfinal.
• Ava Zediker totaled 25 points and 12 rebounds to lead No. 4 West Des Moines Dowling to its 17th consecutive victory, a 52-38 Class 5A quarterfinal win over No. 5 Davenport North.
• A 14-0 first-quarter run propelled top-ranked Pleasant Valley to a 43-28 win over No. 9 West Des Moines Valley in a Class 5A quarterfinal.
• Sixth-ranked Ankeny Centennial avenged a loss to No. 3 Waterloo West in this round last year with a 60-51 Class 5A quarterfinal win, just the Wahawks' second loss of the season.
• No. 2 Johnston completed a three-game season sweep of No. 7 Southeast Polk, running away with a 70-48 win in the first Class 5A quarterfinal.
Final: Ankeny Centennial 60, Waterloo West 51
A year after a sixth-ranked Waterloo West team upset No. 3 Centennial in the state quarterfinals, the roles have been reversed. No. 3 Centennial (18-6) limited No. 3 West (22-2) to 37-percent shooting and scored 14 second-chance points on 14 offensive rebounds.
Makenna Clark made 12 of 14 free-throw attempts and scored 20 points to lead the Jaguars. Halli Poock led the Wahawks with a game-high 24. Oklahoma commit Sahara Williams fouled out with 11 points, 13 rebounds and six assists.
West's only previous loss was to Linn-Mar. Centennial will face No. 2 Johnston in the semifinals at 10 a.m. Thursday.
End 3rd: Ankeny Centennial 41, Waterloo West 31
Mya Crawford's layup at the buzzer gave Centennial a 10-point lead entering the final frame. It limited West to seven points in the third.
Half: Ankeny Centennial 29, Waterloo West 24
West stars Halli Poock (11) and Sahara Williams (nine) combined for 20 points in the first half, but the Jaguars held the rest of the Wahawks in check while getting points from seven different players, including Makenna Clark's team-high eight.
End 1st: Ankeny Centennial 20, Waterloo West 15
Halli Poock (eight points in the quarter) started the game with a pair of steals for a pair of layups, but Centennial grabbed five offensive rebounds in the opening frame and limited the Wahawks to one.
Final: Johnston 70, Southeast Polk 48
Second-ranked Johnston (23-1) completed a three-game season sweep of No. 7 Southeast Polk (15-8). When the teams played 17 days ago, the Dragons won by just five, 82-77. But in the first game of the day at Wells Fargo Arena, Southeast Polk's only lead was 3-0 and the Dragons were up double digits throughout the second half.
Aili Tanke led Johnston with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Emma Hampton had 15 points.
Defending champion Johnston is in the state semifinals for the sixth straight season.
End 3rd: Johnston 54, Southeast Polk 31
The Dragons pulled away with a 20-8 third quarter, Jayce Blanchard's 3-pointer in the final seconds giving them their biggest lead so far with 8 minutes to play.
Half: Johnston 34, Southeast Polk 23
Aili Tanke's 3-pointer with 8 seconds left gave the second-ranked Dragons a double-digit lead at the break.
End 1st: Johnston 16, Southeast Polk 9
Southeast Polk got on the board first with a 3-pointer, but Johnston immediately answered with a 10-0 run.
How to watch girls' state basketball tournament games
Live stream: IGHSAU YouTube or IGHSAU Digital Network
Monday's girls' state basketball schedule
CLASS 5A QUARTERFINALS
No. 2 Johnston (22-1) vs. No. 7 Southeast Polk (15-7), 10 a.m.
No. 3 Waterloo West (22-1) vs. No. 6 Ankeny Centennial (17-6), 11:45 a.m.
No. 1 Pleasant Valley (23-0) vs. No. 9 West Des Moines Valley (15-8), 1:30 p.m.
No. 4 West Des Moines Dowling (19-4) vs. No. 5 Davenport North (21-2), 3:15 p.m.
CLASS 3A QUARTERFINALS
No. 1 Estherville-Lincoln Central (24-0) vs. No. 10 Vinton-Shellsburg (17-7), 5 p.m.
No. 4 Benton Community (21-3) vs. No. 5 Des Moines Christian (21-3), 6:45 p.m.
No. 2 Solon (22-2) vs. No. 8 Dubuque Wahlert (18-6), 8:30 p.m.
A closer look at Monday's games
Capsules for Monday's games involving area teams at the Iowa high school girls' state basketball tournament at Wells Fargo Arena.
Girls' state basketball smorgasbord: Brackets, predictions, top players and more
All five reigning champions are back in the field at the 103rd Iowa high school girls’ state basketball tournament.
Among the defending champions is Cedar Rapids Xavier, which won the 4A title. The Saints open with Sioux City Heelan, the team they vanquished in the championship game last season.
Making its 15th trip in its 25-year history, Xavier is among eight qualifiers from the Gazette area.
Johnston (5A), Estherville-Lincoln Central (3A), Dike-New Hartford (2A) and Algona Garrigan (1A) also are pursuing title repeats. DNH is seeking its third consecutive crown.