SOLON — The Lady Spartans finished the regular season with an easy win over WaMaC East foe Independence (Indee) on Senior Night, and had no trouble with Fairfield in the quarterfinals of Class 3A Regional competition on the road to the State Tournament.
Solon 71 Independence 20
Seniors Hailey Miller, Mia Stahle, Anna Quillin, and Callie Levin were honored on Senior Night last Tuesday after the final home game of the regular season.
The Mustangs were hobbled by Solon defense who prevented Indee from scoring a single point in the first period while 20 went up on the board for the Lady Spartans. By halftime Solon reigned 39-3 and had extended the lead to 61-10 at the end of the third as Coach Jamie Smith worked through his bench for time out on the floor.
Levin led all with 24 points including four three-pointers and surpassed 500 career rebounds and 400 assists. Miller had a 20-point night with a trio of three’s, sophomore Delainey Durr produced nine points (all from three-point range), Stahle and freshman Laeni Hinkle produced seven points each with four from junior Kobi Lietz. Levin led on the boards with eight rebounds and made four assists and seven steals. Miller had four assists and Stahle made four steals.
The win improved Solon to 18-3 on the season.
Solon 78 Fairfield 22
The first round of postseason play was a walk in the park for the Lady Spartans as the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union dispatched 3-16 Fairfield to Solon this past Saturday evening. Solon led 29-8 at the end of the first period and added another 29 points in the second to lead 58-10 at halftime. The embarrassment of the Trojans continued in the third as Solon finished the quarter ahead 72-18 and only allowed an additional four points in the final eight minutes.
Levin led all with 20 points, Miller had 19, Lietz produced ten with Stahle, Durr, and freshman Laney Johnson contributing seven points apiece. Hinkle, freshman Jerzey Haluska, sophomore Gable Knight, and freshman Maddyn Gates added two points each. Lietz and Levin made five rebounds each with five assists for Levin, and six steals by Miller while Lietz produced a block.
The win advanced Solon to the semifinals and a Wednesday, Feb. 14 visit from 10-12 Davis County, who knocked off Washington 39-28 in their quarterfinal game Saturday.
“We came out and played on well on both side of the ball vs Fairfield,” said Coach Jamie Smith. “I thought our pressure hurt them and we kept them from getting into anything. We have been playing well the last three weeks and have a lot of confidence right now. We will have to do the same thing on Wednesday vs Davis County. Kobi Lietz and Mia Stahle did a good job on defense and Our guard play was great on offense. We were able to get some tournament experience for our bench, which will be helpful as the tournament moves along.”
Four receive IGCA Academic All-State honors
Levin, Quillin, Stahle, and Miller were named to the Iowa Girls Coaches Association’s 2023-2024 Basketball Academic All State roster.
Levin named to 2024 McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Team
Levin, Solon’s points leader with 488 points, was named to the 2024 McDonald’s All American High School Basketball Team. This year’s selection of the best of the best encompasses players from 43 states and the District of Columbia. Players are nominated by a coach, athletic director, principal, or member of the McDonald’s All American Games Selection Committee with selection based on athletic and scholastic achievement.
IGHSAU rankings and WaMaC East standings
The Lady Spartans improved to the No. 3 spot in Class 3A in the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union’s final rankings of the ’23-’24 season. Estherville-Lincoln Central held the top spot followed by Des Moines Christian. Mount Vernon dropped from No. 2 to No. 4 while Chariton dropped to No. 14. Mount Vernon held the top spot in the WaMaC East at 14-2 in the conference and 19-3 overall followed by Solon (13-3/19-3), Marion (11-4/15-7), West Delaware (7-9/10-12), Center Point-Urbana (7/9-9-13), and Independence (1-16/3-19).
Upcoming events
Saturday, Feb. 17 – Class 3A Regional Championship, 7:00 p.m. at the highest-ranked team’s site.
Monday, Feb. 26 – Saturday, March 2 – 2024 Girls State Basketball Tournament, Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines.
Sophomore Delainey Durr (2) grabs a rebound while battling Independence’s Morgan Ristvedt (12) Tuesday, Feb. 6 at home. Durr had nine points, all from three-point range, in a 71-20 win.