DES MOINES — The Lady Spartans won the opening round of their first Girls State Basketball Tournament since 2006 Monday, Feb. 27 as they survived the Golden Eagles of Wahlert Catholic (Dubuque) with a 54-46 win.
Solon won the first period 18-13 with a balanced attack as Callie Levin, Hailey Miller, Mia Stahle. And Kobi Lietz scored. Miller hit the first of two three-pointers to make it 17-11 with less than a minute remaining in the quarter. Hillary Wilson opened the second period with the first of two three-pointers making it 21-16, Levin hit her 44th three-pointer of the season to make it 26-18, and Wilson struck again from outside the arc to make it a 28-18 ballgame. Wilson’s shot bounced around on the rim and backboard before spinning around the rim for a few circuits before finally dropping through. The Lady Spartans led 29-22 at halftime.
Momentum shifted to Wahlert in the third as only Miller (three-point basket) and Wilson (two-point shot) scored. The Golden Eagles however drained a three-pointer, five baskets, and two free throws in the quarter including a rebound, which dropped just ahead of the buzzer for a 35-34 Wahlert advantage.
Foul trouble plagued Levin, who headed for the bench early in the fourth with four fouls and after a scoring dry spell in the third. Miller nailed back-to-back field goals as Solon trailed 39-38, which soon became a 42-38 deficit. Levin reentered the game and promptly drained a pair of three-point buckets to tie 44-44. Solon led 48-44 with just under two minutes left to play. Miller put in back-to-back two-point baskets as the lead grew to 50-44. Levin nailed four consecutive free throws for the 54-46 win.
Miller led all with 21 points, Levin produced 19, Wilson had an eight-point night with four from Lietz, and two from Stahle. Wahlert was led by Emma Donovan and Claire Lueken with 13 points each and a dozen rebounds for Donovan.
Anna Quillin had ten boards for Solon with six by Levin, five from Wilson, four from Lietz, two by Miller, and one by Stahle.
The win improved Solon’s record to 23-2 while Wahlert finished the season at 18-7.
Solon advanced to the semifinal round Thursday, March 2 facing either No.3 West Marshall or No.6 Sioux Center, who played their quarterfinal game Tuesday morning after this edition’s deadline.
The Class 3A Championship Game will be played Friday, March 3 at 8:00 p.m.
In addition, Levin and Miller were named to the Iowa Girls Coaches Association’s Class 3A Southeast All-District Team while Head Coach Jamie Smith was named the District Coach of the Year.
Delainey Durr (5) meets Kobi Lietz (1), Hailey Miller (4) and Mia Stahle (10) on the floor as they celebrate their 54-46 Class 3A Quarterfinals win over Wahlert Catholic (Dubuque) Monday, Feb. 27 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. The win advanced Solon to the Semifinals on Thursday, March 2.