The Solon girls’ basketball team thrashed the South Tama Trojans, 89-11, in sound fashion on the road, Nov. 30, for the first win of the season.
The Lady Spartans sprinted to an early 31-3 lead in the first quarter, padded their points lead with another 18 while limiting the Trojans to just four in the second for a 49-7 halftime lead. Solon added 26 points in the third while shutting down South Tama in the third for a 75-7 lead before closing out the game for the 89-11 final.
“We got after them from the beginning on both ends of the floor,” Lady Spartan Head Coach Jamie Smith praised. “Everyone contributed, so it was a good night.”
Sophomore Callie Levin led all players on the court scoring with 19 points, shooting 73.1 percent from the court, 8-13 field goals and 3-7 from beyond the arc, pulling down three rebounds, contributing five assists and stealing the ball seven times.
Senior Ava Stebral and junior Claire LaDage led the Lady Spartans with six rebounds apiece. Stebral scored five points for Solon and also led in assists with six for Solon.
The win moved the Lady Spartans to 1-2 on the fledgling season, relegating South Tama to 0-2, and host the Clear Creek Amana Clippers (CCA), at home, on Friday, Dec. 3.
Coach Smith welcomed the taste of victory and its importance was not lost on the team.
“I think it was good to have some success after the first two losses,” he commented. “Third game in a row on the road, so it was an important win.”
Coach Smith was quick to welcome the visit from the Clippers.
“Friday will be a tough game,” he responded. “CCA’s size will cause some problems. They will also have to guard our transition. It should be a great game.”
Solon’s leaders against South Tama were: scoring — Callie Levin 19, Kaia Holtkamp 17, Hailey Miller 12, MaKinley Levin 10, Kassidy Leitz seven, Claire LaDage six, Elly Holubar and Ava Stebral 5, Mia Stahle four, Anna Quillin and Kerrigan Lyons two; three-pointers — Callie Levin three, MaKinley Levin and Hailey Miller two, Holtkamp, Hollubar and LaDage one; rebounds — Stebral and LaDage six, MaKinley Levin and Sara Holtz four, Callie Levin and Holubar three, Holtkamp two, Miller, Quillin and Lyons one; assists — Stebral six, Callie Levin five, Holtkamp and Stahle two, Miller and Holtz one; steals — Callie Levin seven, Elly Holubar four, MaKinley Levin, Stahle, Stebral and Quillin two, Holtkamp, LaDage and Lyons one.
The Lady Spartans bested Clear Creek-Amana (CCA), 80-52, relegating the Clippers to 1-2 and earning the Lady Spartans a 2-2 record in their season opener at Solon High School on Dec. 3, making it 2-0 for the week, to date.
Stebral pushed the Lady Spartans to an early lead, 25-10 at the end of the first quarter hitting threes. Assistant Coach Jim Smith commended her performance prior to the third, stating she was on fire.
Lady Spartans Head Coach Jamie Smith echoed his father’s thoughts, “Ava was definitely hot. She has put in a lot of time on her shooting the last two years and it paid off. Her early threes really gave us a spark and her teammates kept finding her.”
The Lady Spartans capitalized on their transition play to keep the Clippers off their game as they responded, outscoring the Lady Spartans just 21-18 in the second, allowing Solon to enter the locker room at the half leading, 43-31.
Solon pounded in 27 points in the third and hindered CCA to just 13 points, entering the final quarter of play touting a 70-44 lead. It was a matter of ball control and running time off the clock as Solon finished out the fourth quarter outscoring CCA for a decisive win, 80-52, their second for the week.
“Yeah, the transition was again key for us,” Coach Jamie Smith praised. “When we get the ball out, we are pretty good. We also moved the ball well in half-court. When we do those two things, we are at our best. I just think our offense took CCA out of some things they like to do on both ends.”
Sophomore Callie Levin led all scorers on the court with 25 points shooting 9-20 field goals, 3-7 from beyond the arc and 4-5 from the charity stripe while the Lady Spartans sported four players in double digits scoring; Callie Levin (25), Holtkamp (19), Stebral (17) and MaKinley Levin (13).
Although it was Stebral’s 83.3% shooting (5-of-6) from 3-point range credited for boosting the Spartans early lead allowing them to control the game, Callie Levin was 3-of-7, Holtkamp was 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, MaKinley Levin was 2-of-4 and Hailey Miller was 1-of-1 bucketing threes to combine for 42 of Solon’s 80 points.
Solon’s defense held CCA to 37% (20-of-54) shooting from inside, 25% (4-of-16) from outside and 8-of-12 from the line. Although the height advantage went to the Clippers pulling down 37 rebounds, to Solon’s 25, and blocking three shots to the Spartans’ one. The Lady Spartans were credited with 18 assists compared to the Boats’ 15. Solon was aggressive on defense in transition stripping the Clippers of the ball seven timed to the Clippers once. Solon limited themselves to a meager seven turnovers versus Clear Creek’s 20, committing just 12 fouls compared to the Boats’ 11.
Solon’s leaders against CCA were: scoring — Callie Levin 25, Kaia Holtkamp 19, Ava Stebral 17, MaKinley Levin 13, Hailey Miller six; rebounds — Callie Levin seven, Elly Holubar six, MaKinley Levin four, Holtkamp three, Miller two, Sara Holtz, Claire LaDage and Stebral one; assists — Holtkamp and Callie Levin four, Stebral three, Holubar, MaKinley Levin and Hillary Wilson two and Ladage 1; steals — Miller and Callie Levin two, Holtkamp, MaKinley Levin and Mia Stahle one; blocks — Callie Levin one.
Solon was unable to make it a three-peat for the week, falling 61-50, at Johnston High School in Grimes, battling the North Polk Comets in the Girls Prep Hoops Classic on Dec. 4.
A big first quarter by the North Polk, sinking some threes, 21-11 catapulted the Comets into a lead the Lady Spartans were unable to surmount. It was a tight race in the second as Solon gained ground outscoring North Polk, 11-9, for a 30-22 halftime score. The Comets edged the Lady Spartans in the third, 15-12, to start the fourth quarter, 45-34. The Lady Spartans matched the Comets in the fourth, unable to gain ground, for a 61-50 Comet victory.
“North Polk came out hot,” summarized Head Coach Smith. “They hit four (three-pointers) in the first quarter and after that, it was even. Thought we did a good job fighting back and caught it to six halfway in the second quarter. Every time we would make a run they would answer. That’s a sign of a good team.”
Coach Smith refused to use back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday as a crutch.
“North Polk played the night before,” he summarized. “So we really aren’t using turnaround time as an excuse. We didn’t hit shots and they did.”
Solon’s leaders against North Polk were: Callie Levin 23, MaK Levin 12, Holtkamp eight, Stebral four and Holubar three; three-pointers — Callie Levin and MaKinley Levin three; rebounds — Holubar nine, Wilson five, Holtkamp four, Callie Levin, MaKinley Levin and Miller two, Stebral one; assists — Callie Levin three, Stebral two, LaDage, Miller and Wilson one; steals — Callie Levin five, MaKinley Levin three, Wilson two and Stebral one.
The loss moved the Lady Spartans record to 2-3 for the season as North Polk elevated to 4-1. The schedule has Solon trekking to Vinton-Shellsburg High School for a Friday, Dec. 10, game starting at 7:30 p.m. against the Vikettes. On Tuesday, Dec. 14, Solon visits Marion High School to meet the Wolves on the hardwood at 6 p.m. The Lady Spartans return home Thursday, Dec. 16, at 6 p.m., to host the Iowa City Regina Catholic Regals, note all times are subject to change.

Gallery • 7 Photos

Jeff Hess

Stebral is focused on sinking a three-point shot.