Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The holiday break marks the unofficial halfway point of the girls basketball season.

There is still a lot of season remaining including the most important part of the season – the postseason which gets underway in February.

Before play resumes for Your Prep Sports area teams in January we hand out a little midseason hardware.

Team With the Best Resume

Solon.

There may not be a team in the state with a better pre-holiday resume than the Spartans.

Class 3A fourth-ranked Solon (7-1) has four wins over ranked teams including a pair of victories over top-10 3A opponents in Center Point-Urbana and Vinton-Shellsburg and a win over 4A No. 15 Marion.

The combined record of the Spartans’ opponents is 46-30 and seven of the eight opponents for Solon are .500 or better.

Best Win

Clear Creek Amana over Solon.

The Clippers beefed up their non-conference schedule this season and split a pair of early games against 5A foes City High and West High.

The best win for eighth-ranked Clear Creek Amana (6-2) is an 18-point home win over 3A fourth-ranked Solon, the only loss this season for the Spartans.

Best Game

West High over Liberty High.

What else would it be?

West High improved to 8-0 all-time against Liberty High with a 42-40 win over the Lightning in North Liberty.

Honorable mention here goes to West High’s win at Clear Creek Amana.

Most Impressive Start

Regina.

A state tournament team a year ago the Regals have picked up where they left off last season.

Class 2A aeventh-ranked Regina (10-1) has won games by an average of 23 points per game and enters 2023 riding an eight-game winning streak.

The Regals have a road win over 3A No. 11 Mount Vernon and its lone loss is to 3A second-ranked Benton Community.

Best Individual Game

Liberty High senior point guard Jasmine Barney against North Scott.

How good was Barney in the season-opening win over the Lancers?

The senior point guard had a 32-point, 10-rebound double-double in the final game before break and her performance against North Scott was even better.

Barney didn’t attempt a field goal in the first quarter against North Scott and still finished with 18 points on just 11 field goal attempts to go with 7 rebounds, eight assists and two blocks.

Stat lines like this are becoming common for Barney who is averaging 18 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.7 steals per game.

Player that Put Themselves on Opponents’ Radars 

Solon junior Hailey Miller.

The Spartans needed someone to step up opposite all-state point guard Callie Levin and Miller has filled that role.

Miller is averaging a career-high 11.5 points per game and is second on the team with 5.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

Player that Has Stepped Up 

Regina sophomore Morgan Miller.

Miller was solid last season as a freshman.

The Regina point guard has been nothing short of exceptional to start her sophomore season.

Morgan is averaging 16.9 points per game while shooting 55 percent from the floor and 47 percent from 3-point range.

That alone is impressive.

What stands out more is that Miller is leading the Regals in rebounds (4.5), assists (4.8) and steals (2.7).

Player We Aren’t Talking Enough About

Liberty High senior Ava Meyer.

Barney gets a bulk of the headlines (rightfully so) but the development of Meyer has played a big role in the ascension of the Liberty High program the past two seasons.

The 6-foot-2 senior forward is a key piece defensively for the Lightning leading the team in rebounds (7.1) and blocks (1.6).

Meyer also provides a versatile offensive weapon (7.8 ppg) with her ability to stretch the floor ranking second on the team with 14 made 3-pointers.

Biggest Individual Surprise

City High sophomore Augie Palmer.

It is no surprise that Palmer has flourished in her first season in a City High uniform. The sophomore point guard was excellent as a freshman last season at West Branch.

What has been a surprise is just how good Palmer has been in her transition to Class 5A.

Palmer leads 5A in scoring at 21.3 points per game while shooting 47 percent from the floor and 37 percent from 3-point range.

The 5-foot-10 point guard also averages 4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.3 steals per game.

Mid-Season Freshman of the Year

Averie Lower/Tessa Driscoll. 

Take your pick between Clear Creek Amana’s Averie Lower and City High’s Tessa Driscoll both freshmen guards have been outstanding to start their careers.

Driscoll is averaging 11.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists through seven games at City High.

Lower has been just as efficient putting up 11.3 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists in her first eight varsity games at Clear Creek Amana.

Mid-Season MVP

Clear Creek Amana junior Ava Locklear. 

Clear Creek Amana has looked like a state tournament team and a big reason why is the play of junior Ava Locklear.

Locklear had a breakthrough season a year ago but has taken things to an even different level this season averaging a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

A uniquely complete offensive post, Locklear is shooting 53 percent from the floor and averages 3.4 assists per game to go with 2.1 blocks.

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