The Solon girls’ basketball team marched into Beckman Catholic High School, in Dyersville, Feb. 1, and stormed past the Blazers, 52-39, validating their 46-36, Jan. 7 past victory, and carrying that momentum into a Feb. 4, 64-50 triumph over the Maquoketa Cardinals at home, avenging the heartbreaking Jan. 11, 53-52 loss at the Cardinals’ nest.
On the road, the Lady Spartans blasted out the gates moving the ball well, besting the Blazers, 17-8, then edged Beckman in the second for a 25-15 lead heading into the locker room at the half. Edging the Blazers 8-7 in the third for a 33-22 lead before a charge, 20-16, in the final eight minutes to rest the 52-39 victory.
“We did a good job moving the ball the first quarter, hit some shots and kept them off the boards,” coach Jamie Smith said. “We got some of the same shots the second and third quarter, but they just didn’t go in. Our defense carried us during those quarters.”
Smith confided there was open discussion at the half, leading to the solid Lady Spartan performance. No patented speeches just open team discussion.
“We discuss as a unit,” he said. “We are comfortable as a team to discuss things openly.”
Smith professed little or no surprises presented by the Beckman Catholic Blazers’ performance.
“They are who they are,” he explained. “They have done the same thing the last four years. They play hard and they play good defense. They made some things tough on us when we had the ball but we had a good fourth quarter and closed the game out.”
MaKinley Levin led the Lady Spartans’ offense efforts scoring 13 points for the Lady Spartans while sister Callie Levin complimented her performance scoring 11 points, adding five assists, and sister-in-orange-and-black Kaia Holtkamp added ten points.
Beckman’s Lauren Osterhaus led all scorers on the court with 16 points.
Elly Holubar led Solon at the boards pulling down 11 rebounds.
Avenging a last-minute, 53-52 loss on Jan. 11, the Lady Spartans battled in a physical, bumping-and-banging contest on the home hardwood against the Maquoketa Cardinals on Feb. 4, claiming a 64-50 triumph.
“It was a pretty physical game,” Smith said. “I think we did a good job keeping our composure and got after it physically ourselves. You have to be ready to play. Some games are more physical than others, and the refs will let you know early how the game will be called.”
The game saw a lot of both teams leaning heavily into one another as Solon claimed a narrow lead, 11-10, at the end of the first and boosted their lead ever so slightly, 28-22, as both teams took advantage of the half time respite.
“We had the lead going into the second quarter,” Smith affirmed. “We just kept doing what we do and got some good looks late in the quarter.”
“The girls responded well in the second half. (We) got up by 22, which was nice to see,” Smith said.
The Cardinals were grounded by a stout Spartan defense and hearty shooting as Solon claimed a 43-29 lead going into the final eight minutes. The Spartans matched Maquoketa 21-21 scoring in the final quarter for retribution.
“All five starters were good tonight,” Smith recognized. “Callie (Levin) didn’t have her best shooting performance tonight, but man has she grown as a player. Seven assists, seven steals, a couple of blocks. Just a real good night. Kaia (Holtkamp) goes 5-of-5 from the line in the fourth quarter and hit a big three to end the third quarter. Ava (Stebral) with a couple of big threes again. Elly (Holubar) hit a big three in the second quarter to put us up. MaK (Levin) with another double-figure night and real good defense on their bigs and again our bench was good. Claire (LaDage), Mia (Stahle), Hillary (Wilson) and Hailey (Miller). All with big minutes and gave a spark on defense in the first half.”
The Cardinals’ Jackie Miller led all scorers on the court with 18 points but double-digit scoring by Lady Spartans Callie Levin (19), Holtkamp (12) and MaK Levin (10) along with nine from Holubar and eight from Stebral powered Solon’s victory.
Callie Levin recorded seven assists and Holubar and MaKinley Levin were credited for six rebounds apiece while Callie stole the ball seven times.
Solon’s leaders against Beckman were: scoring — MaK Levin 13, Callie Levin 11, Holtkamp 10, Holubar and Ava Stebral six, Mia Stahle, Hailey Miller and Hilary Wilson two; rebounds — Holubar 11, Holtkamp six, Claire LaDage and Stebral five, Callie Levin and MaK Levin two and Wilson one; assists — Callie Levin five, Holtkamp, MaK Levin and LaDage one; steals — Callie Levin nine, MaK Levin and Stebral two, Holtkamp, Stahle, LaDage and one; blocks — MaK Levin one.
The Spartan’s leaders against Maquoketa were: scoring — Callie Levin 19, Holtkamp 12, MaK Levin 10, Holubar nine, Stebral eight, LaDage three Wilson two, Stahle one; rebounds — MaK Levin and Holubar six, Callie Levin four, Holtkamp three, Miller, Stebral and Wilson two, LaDage one; assists — Callie Levin seven, Miller three, LaDage two, Stebral one; steals — Callie Levin seven, MaK Levin, Stahle and Stebral two, Ladage one; blocks — Callie Levin two.
Spartans roll past Beckman, Maquoketa
Jeff Hess
February 10, 2022