MARION — The Solon boys and girls basketball teams took a trip to the Cedar Rapids area to face off against Marion Tuesday, Jan. 13. While the Lady Spartans had their four-game winning streak snapped in a 30-point loss to Missouri’s Strafford in the Sophie Cunningham Classic, the boys rode an undefeated 10-0 record heading into their Marion faceoff.
Both games featured strong starts by the Wolves and finished with Spartan comeback victories.
Solon girls
The Spartans relied heavily on Tenley Levin at the start of the game as she scored all six points for Solon in the first quarter. Marion held a 14-6 lead after eight minutes and scored another seven unanswered points to take a 15-point lead early in the second quarter, but Levin along with contributions from Delaney Durr and Teagan Zearley helped cut that lead down to 11 by halftime, 26-15.
Despite making just two field goals in the third quarter – threes by Levin and Jerzey Hakuska – and relying on free throws for the rest of the points, Solon’s defense allowed just seven points as the Wolves’ lead was trimmed down to seven heading into the fourth quarter – where Durr came alive.
While Levin’s scoring slowed down, Durr stepped up to the plate as her eight points in the final period of regulation helped erase a ten-point deficit and send the game into overtime. Once Levin knocked down two free throws and drew a charge on the other end the following play, Laney Johnson’s three gave Solon a two-possession lead a minute into the extra period that only built up from there, leading to a 60-53 Spartan victory.
“We just kept coming at them, and [we] found a way to get it in overtime,” said Solon girls head coach Jaime Smith. “Kind of had a little stretch and run, and we made it a little bit harder on ourselves, but we figured out how hard it was to win on the road.”
Levin’s double-double of 26 points and 13 rebounds led the charge co-starred by Durr’s 19 points. Laney Johnson had five points with four from Laeni Hinkle and three apiece by Haluska and Zearley.
Solon boys
Grant Gordon put Solon on the board first with a three, though Marion took off on a 9-0 run to grasp the early lead in front of its home crowd. Then came Tate McCullom with a 9-4 individual run over the next three minutes, followed with two inside buckets by Simon Einwalter to push the Spartans ahead 16-15 at the end of the first quarter.
And just when the Spartans had the momentum, the Wolves changed their plans defensively to take McCollom out of the game and won the second quarter by five points due to the fact for a 34-28 Marion lead at halftime.
It was a slow climb in the third quarter, but a surge led by Gordon and Einwalter helped Solon go on a 12-4 run to finish the third quarter that included the Spartans taking the 48-47 lead at the 1:07 mark – its first lead since it was 17-15 at the start of the second quarter – and enter the fourth quarter with a 51-47 advantage.
The two opponents exchanged blows all throughout the last eight minutes. Marion retook the lead early, 53-52, but a driving layup by Gordon helped the Spartans steal it back just one possession later. A pair of layups from Einwalter and Kaden Hoeper helped hold off the Wolves, and McCollom’s two late free throws pushed its lead to two possessions, aiding a Solon victory in front of a hostile student section.
“They’re really solid, and it can cause a lot of problems,” said Solon boys head coach Jared Galpin. They got great scores, great shooters, and just know how to play. So, coming here to get a win, it’s earned. You’re just not gonna be given. You gotta really work for it. So, yeah, just a big win.”
Regardless of Marion’s game plan, McCollom still led the squad in scoring with 18 points. Gordon followed up with 17 points along with eight rebounds, and Einwalter had 13 points. Ethan Ulch had five points with three by Maddox Kelley and two points each from Hoeper and Tanner Heims.