Checking in on Your Prep Sports Area Girls Basketball Teams at the Unofficial Halfway Point of the Season
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
The holiday break serves as the unofficial halfway point of the prep girls basketball season in Iowa.
Most teams in the state are at least several games shy of the actual halfway point of their schedule but the two-week break without competition at the end of December to early January provides a perfect opportunity to reassess the start of the season while taking a peak at what lies ahead.
Before basketball action returns to the Your Prep Sports area on January 4 we check in on the seven area teams and look at where they sit entering 2022.
West High
Record: 6-1, 4-0 MVC
Ranking: Class 5A No. 5
Where it’s at: West High enters 2022 ranked in the top five in Class 5A, tied for the lead in the MVC Valley Division standings and coming off a 10-point road win at previously No. 14 ranking Linn-Mar.
How’d it get here: The MVC schedule is always a challenge and the start to this season has been no exception for West High.
The Trojans already owns wins over No. 14 Cedar Rapids Washington, 1A No. 2 Algona Garrigan and knocked off Linn-Mar and Liberty High when they were in the 5A rankings.
The lone loss for West High is a 65-52 setback at second-ranked City High.
West High has employed the same formula that has turned the Trojans into perennial 5A title contenders combining stout defense (51.1 points allowed per game) and offensive balance (six players between 4.5 and 8.1 points per game).
Who’s stepped up: After flashing her high-end potential last season junior guard Meena Tate has wasted no time emerging as an impact player this winter.
The 5-foot-10 Tate is averaging a team-high 15.9 points and 3.6 assists per game to go with 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks per game.
When West High returns: West High hosts 4A eighth-ranked Cedar Rapids Xavier (7-2) on January 4 in the opening game of a girl/boy doubleheader at 6 p.m.
What’s next: The gauntlet of a schedule continues as West High opens January with back-to-back games against Cedar Rapids Xavier and 5A third-ranked and co-Valley Division leader Waterloo West.
West High lost senior guard Emma Ingersoll-Weng for the season with an injury but has already had several players step up in the absence of its second leading scorer.
Look for sophomore Melae’ Lacy (8.1 ppg), junior Anna Prouty (8 ppg, 6.4 rpg) and senior Avery Vest (6.3 ppg) to continue to see their production rise.
City High
Record: 7-0, 2-0, MVC
Ranking: Class 5A, No. 2
Where it’s at: With wins over a pair of top-five ranked teams in Waterloo West and West High the Little Hawks enter January with a resume as good as any team in Class 5A.
How’d it get here: The duo of Kelsey Joens and Eviyon Richardson has been dynamic with the two combining for nearly 35 points, 13 rebounds and five assists per game during an unbeaten start for City High.
City High overcame early deficits in home wins over third-ranked Waterloo West and No. 5 West High but has otherwise been dominant winning games by an average of 15.7 points per game.
Who’s stepped up: A 3.2 point per game scorer over her first three seasons senior guard Andie Westlake has emerged as a strong third scoring option for City High this season averaging 12.4 points on 42 percent shooting through seven games.
Westlake is shooting 41 percent from 3-point range, averages 3.9 rebounds and a team-leading 3.4 assists per game.
When City High returns: City High travels to cross-town rival Liberty High on January 4 for a 6 p.m. contest in the first game of a girl/boy doubleheader.
What’s next: The Little Hawks have challenging stretch to open January starting with a rivalry game at Liberty High (6-2) on Tuesday before hosting No. 12 Cedar Falls (6-2) on Friday.
Half of the remaining 14 games for City High are against ranked teams including rematches with Waterloo West and West High on the road.
Joens (21.1 ppg, 5 rpg) and Richardson (13.6 ppg, 7.7 rpg) have been excellent along with Westlake.
Look for seniors Bella Cooley (8.5 ppg, 9 rpg) and Georgia Kimm (3.3 ppg) to continue to improve with more time in the lineup along with freshman Emmy McComas (3 ppg, 2.1 rpg).
Liberty High
Record: 6-2, 3-0 MVC
Ranking: Unranked
Where it’s at: Liberty High is off to the best start in program history at 6-2, joins City High as the lone unbeaten team in MVC Mississippi Division play and made its debut in the 5A rankings earlier this season.
How’d it get here: The Lightning followed up a 4-1 start that featured a pair of wins over Dubuque Hempstead and a road win at Cedar Rapids Kennedy with back-to-back wins to close the 2021 portion of the schedule.
Liberty High has been among the best turnarounds in the state this season, already surpassing its win total from the previous three seasons and needs four more wins to match the program record for wins set in its debut season in 2018.
Who’s stepped up: Junior guard Jasmine Barney has provided a big boost for the Lightning in her first season after transferring from Cedar Falls.
Barney leads the Lightning in scoring (18.4), rebounds (7.9), assists (5.4) and steals (2.8) while shooting 46 percent from the field.
When Liberty High returns: Liberty High gets another major test and a shot at a huge win when it hosts second-ranked City High on January 4 at 6 p.m. in the first game of a cross-town girl/boy doubleheader in North Liberty.
What’s up next: Liberty High enters the new year motivated and with momentum following wins over Cedar Rapids Prairie and Cedar Rapids Jefferson to conclude 2021 and will be looking to conclude a memorable season.
The Lightning have six games remaining with ranked opponents including two with City High and another matchup with West High as well as home games with Cedar Rapids Xavier, Waterloo West and Cedar Rapids Washington.
Barney has been sensation in her first season at Liberty High along with freshman Madeline Casey who is second on the team with 9.4 points per game.
Junior Ava Meyer has been as solid as advertised averaging 9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game and will be a key for the Lightning going forward.
Clear Creek Amana
Record: 4-4, 4-3 WAMAC
Ranking: Unranked
Where it’s at: After a 1-4 start to the season the Clippers closed 2021 with three consecutive wins capped by a 55-50 win over Class 3A sixth-ranked Center Point-Urbana.
How’d it get here: After a season-opening win over West Delaware the Clippers lost four straight games by an average of 18 points.
As Clear Creek Amana seems to do annually under PJ Sweeney the Clippers continued to improve as the season went on and rattled off three straight to close 2021 including a 55-50 overtime win over Center Point-Urbana.
The key for the Clipper turnaround was defense. After allowing 66.3 points per game during its four-game losing streak the Clippers gave up just 41 points per game in wins over Mount Vernon, Independence and CPU to close December.
Who’s stepped up: Sophomore Ava Locklear showed glimpses of being a game-changer as a freshman and has continued emerge as monster in the post for the Clippers this season leading Clear Creek Amana in scoring (12.1 ppg) and rebounding (6.3).
When Clear Creek Amana returns: Clear Creek Amana opens the 2022 schedule by hosting 4A No. 13 Benton Community (7-2) in a key WAMAC West Division tilt on January 4 at 7:30 p.m.
What’s next: A five-game, 15-day stretch to open 2020 features challenging home games with Benton Community, 3A No. 12 Vinton-Shellsburg (7-3) and rival Williamsburg (5-3) and road trips to South Tama (1-7) and Dyersville Beckman (5-4).
The schedule offers the opportunity for the Clippers to continue their post-holiday hot streak while working its way up in the WAMAC West Division standings.
Locklear and 6-foot-2 sophomore Bliss Beck (9 ppg, 5.6 rpg) have given the Clippers an imposing post presence but the key for 2022 will be the continued development of the guard corps.
Sophomore Reese Stockman is averaging 7.1 points and a team-high three assists per game while senior Kalin Rotzoll is averaging 5.4 points and junior Olivia Miller five points per game.
Solon
Record: 5-5, 3-3 WAMAC
Ranking: Unranked
Where it’s at: At 5-5 and 3-3 in conference play Solon is among the best .500 teams in the state after dropping four games to ranked teams with its last two loses coming by a combined five points.
How’d it get here: Solon split it first 10 games during a front-loaded pre-holiday schedule that featured four games against top-12 ranked teams all away from home.
The Spartans opened the season with back-to-back losses to 3A sixth-ranked Center Point-Urbana and 4A eighth-ranked Cedar Rapids Xavier and fell to 4A third-ranked North Polk 61-50.
Solon lost consecutive road games to Vinton-Shellsburg (60-57) and Marion (41-39) before closing 2021 with back-to-back home wins over Regina and Independence.
Who’s stepped up: Senior guard Ava Stebral averaged 3.6 points per game over her first three seasons but has provided a consistent scoring boost as a senior averaging 8.8 points per game while shooting a career-best 46 percent from 3-point range.
Stebral is 21-of-46 from 3-point range and is coming off a school-record nine triples in a career-high 31-point outburst in the final game of 2021 against Independence.
When Solon returns: Solon opens 2022 by hosting West Delaware on January 4 at 6 p.m. in the first game of a WAMAC East Division boy/girl doubleheader.
What’s next: After facing five ranked opponents in its opening 10 games the Spartans have just two teams currently ranked remaining in its final 11 games of the regular season.
The lone remaining games against ranked teams are a home game with 2A ninth-ranked West Branch on January 24 and a road trip to 4A No. 13 Benton Community for the regular season finale on February 14.
Sophomore Callie Levin has followed up a stellar freshman season by averaging 21.9 points, 4.6 steals, 4.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists as a sophomore to lead four Spartans averaging at least 7.6 points per game.
Regina
Record: 7-2, 7-0 RVC
Ranking: Class 2A No. 14
Where it’s at: One of the biggest surprises in Class 2A this season Regina made its season debut in the rankings at No. 14 in the final ranking of 2021 and enters 2022 alone atop the River Valley Conference South Division standings at 7-0.
How’d it get here: A 7-0 start in conference play includes a three-point road win at South Division contender Wilton (6-2) and a 3-0 mark in cross-divisional play including a pair of road wins over North Division teams.
Regina has relied on a back court that ranks among the best in the RVC with junior Grace Gaarde (12.7 ppg) and freshman Morgan Miller (11.3 ppg) combining for 24 points, 10 assists and 5.4 steals per game.
Perhaps the biggest key in the strong start for Regina has been the improvement of senior forward Lily Simpson who is averaging 10.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game while shooting 50 percent from the floor.
Who’s stepped up: Simpson has been excellent and Miller has had an immediate impact but Gaarde has emerged as one of the premier players in the RVC in her third year in the Regal lineup.
Gaarde is shooting 43 percent from the field including 35 percent from the 3-point line while averaging career-highs in scoring, assists (5.8) and steals (3.2) to go with 2.6 rebounds per game.
When Regina returns: Regina opens the 2022 portion of its schedule on January 4 at 6:15 with a cross-divisional contest at 2A No. 10 Cascade (8-1).
What’s next: The Regals run the gauntlet to open 2022 with its toughest four-game stretch of the season crammed into a week-long stretch.
Regina opens with back-to-back road games against top-10 teams following its trip to Cascade with a road game at 3A No. 9 West Liberty (6-2) before hosting Monticello (6-3) and travelling to No. 9 West Branch (6-1).
Gaarde, Miller and Simpson give the Regals a strong trio but a key during the early-season success was the play of seniors Alli Dillon and Hope Simpson and sophomore Alli Clark.
Clark is averaging 9.9 points per game while Hope Simpson and Dillon combine to put up 8.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.
If that trio can continue or even increase those numbers it would be a good sign for Regina.
West Branch
Record: 7-1, 7-1 RVC
Ranking: Class 2A No. 9
Where it’s at: Few people including head coach Jarod Tylee expected the Bears to be 7-1 and ranked ninth in Class 2A at the holiday break after losing four starters and 85 percent of its scoring production from last year’s state semifinal team.
However, that’s exactly the spot West Branch finds itself in after opening the season with six consecutive wins.
How’d it get here: West Branch rattled off six consecutive wins to open the season including a five-point win over No. 10 Cascade and a 44-31 win at Wilton.
The Bears responded from its lone loss of the season, a 46-40 loss at Bellevue with a 56-30 win over Camanche in the 2021 finale.
Stop if you’ve heard this before but it has been stingy defense that has led West Branch to a strong start.
The Bears are allowing just 34 points per game and have given up more than 39 points in a game once.
Who’s stepped up: Everyone in a West Branch uniform has taken things up a notch to help the Bears exceed expectations early but few have done more during that stretch than freshman guard August Palmer.
In her varsity debut season Palmer is averaging a team-high 14.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.7 steals and 2.9 assists per game.
When West Branch returns: West Branch opens 2022 by hosting Class 3A ninth-ranked West Liberty (6-2) in a key RVC South Division showdown.
What’s next: There is no shortage of big games remaining for West Branch which has two games each with ranked RVC rivals Regina and West Branch as well as a non-conference trip to Solon in late January and a road trip to RVC North Division contender Monticello.
West Branch will continue to lean on 6-foot-2 senior center Delaynie Luneckas going forward.
The lone returning starter for the Bears Luneckas has been excellent averaging a double-double with 13.9 points and 11.4 rebounds per game to go with a team-high 3.7 assists and 5.7 blocks per game.
Things will continue to run through Luneckas but the continue development of juniors Avery Schultes (3.3 ppg), Sadie Smith (5.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg) and sophomore Kyle Pickett (8.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg) will be critical.
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