Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

After a quick break area basketball teams return to action this week.

Following a nearly two-week break for the holiday area teams return to action this week to open the 2024 portion of the schedule with the start of the state tournament looming less than eight weeks away.

Before the season gets rolling for all area teams we reset the season looking at where teams currently stand, how they got to this point and what waits in the weeks ahead.

West High

Record: 5-4

Ranking: Class 5A No. 14

How’d it get here: West High opened the season with three consecutive losses to ranked teams Cedar Falls, Clear Creek Amana and Cedar Rapids Prairie before winning five of its final six games in 2023.

Who is standing out: Sophomore Grace Fincham is off to a stellar start in year two of her career leading the Trojans in scoring (16.4) and rebounding (6.1) while shooting 55 percent from the field.

Who has stepped up: Freshman Sasha Baldwin has stepped into a large role immediately and ranks second on the team in scoring at 12.8 points per game to go with 3.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per contest.

Stat that stands out: After averaging 43 points per game during its 0-3 start West High is averaging 58.3 points per game over its last six games.

Best win: West High put an exclamation point on a strong finish to 2023 with a come-from-behind 63-57 win over 5A No. 15 City High on December 22.

Next game: Friday vs. Cedar Rapids Xavier (4-6).

Toughest remaining game: January 12 at 5A ninth-ranked Cedar Falls (9-1)

What’s next: City High opens the new year at home against Cedar Rapids Xavier before a road trip to 3A top-ranked Solon starts a string of four consecutive road games that includes a trip to Cedar Falls. The schedule lightens down the stretch with only two of the final eight games against ranked teams.

City High

Record: 3-6

Ranking: Class 5A No. 15

How’d it get here: City High went 1-5 against ranked teams and 2-1 against unranked teams before the break. The Little Hawks won back-to-back games over Marion and Dubuque Senior before dropping three straight games to Liberty High, 5A No. 10 Cedar Rapids Prairie and 5A No. 14 West High to close out the month.

Who is standing out: Junior guard August Palmer has picked up where she left off following a strong sophomore season leading the Little Hawks in scoring at 14.9 points per game to go with 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game.

Who has stepped up: Freshmen Hattie Galloway and Kaitlin Loria have each provided immediate production in their debut seasons combining to average 19.2 points and 12.1 rebounds per game.

Stat that stands out: City High is 3-1 when scoring at least 55 points and 0-5 when it fails to reach 55 points.

Best win: City High dominated the final three quarters in a 65-47 win over Class 4A No. 11 Marion for its only win in six tries against a ranked opponent.

Next game: January 9 at Class 4A No. 15 Western Dubuque (7-4)

Toughest remaining game: January 27 vs. 5A fifth-ranked West Des Moines Valley (7-3).

What’s next: After a challenging pre-holiday slate that included six games against ranked teams things don’t ease up much for the Little Hawks in 2024. After a trip to Western Dubuque to open the new year the Litle Hawks travel to Cedar Rapids Xavier and host 5A ninth-ranked Cedar Falls. City High has five games remaining against ranked teams including a trip to 5A No. 11 Waukee Northwest in its regular season finale.

Liberty High

Record: 3-6

Ranking: Not ranked

How’d it get here: Following a 1-5 start to the season that included losses to ranked opponents Southeast Polk, Clear Creek Amana, West High and Western Dubuque the Lightning closed 2023 with wins in two of their final three games including a 61-41 win over Cedar Rapids Xavier in their December finale.

Who is standing out: Sophomore Natalie Ramsey has emerged as an impact player in the first extended action of her career leading the Lightning 13.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting 48 percent from the floor.

Who has stepped up: Like Ramsey, sophomore Kennedy Goodheart has made a huge impact in the first real action of her career averaging 9.8 points 3.8 rebounds and 1 assist per game.

Stat that stands out: Five freshmen or sophomores have started games for the Lightning this season with Ramsey, Goodheart, freshman Morgan Bennett, Ava Casey and Sydney Van Heukelom all making starts before break.

Best win: A 59-52 win over 5A No. 15 City High on December 15 is the obvious answer here as the Lightning got a key win over ranked rival while playing without its second leading scorer in junior guard Madeline Casey.

Next game: January 9 at Dubuque Senior (0-10).

Toughest remaining game: January 13 against Class 5A fourth-ranked Waukee (7-2).

What’s next: Liberty High opens January play with road trips to winless Dubuque Senior and Waterloo West (4-5) before playing four of its next five games against ranked teams. Of the 12 remaining regular season games for Liberty High seven are against teams currently ranked.

Clear Creek Amana

Record: 8-0

Ranking: Class 4A No. 2

How’d it get here: One of only three unbeaten teams remaining in 4A the Clippers had as good of a pre-holiday performance as any team in the state with two wins over top-ranked teams. Clear Creek Amana owns wins over 1A top-ranked North Linn and 3A top-ranked Solon to go with a victory over Benton and wins over 5A No. 14 West High and Liberty High.

Who is standing out: You could feel a breakthrough coming for sophomore Averie Lower after a strong freshman season and the talented guard has delivered averaging a team-high 17.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 steals per game while shooting 57 percent from 3-point range.

Who has stepped up: Sophomore Lena Evans has emerged as an offensive sparkplug off the bench averaging 6.8 points per game while shooting 41 percent (9-of-22) from beyond the 3-point line.

Stat that stands out: Clear Creek Amana is allowing 37.3 points per game this season and hasn’t given up more than 45 points in a game. Last season through eight games the Clippers allowed 42.1 points per game and allowed 45 points three times.

Best win: Clear Creek Amana isn’t just the only team to beat Solon this season the Clippers won by 21 at Solon holding the Spartans 21 points below their season scoring average.

Next game: Friday at West Delaware (6-5).

Toughest remaining game: January 9 at Class 3A second-ranked Mount Vernon (10-0).

What’s next: After opening 2024 with a road trip to West Delaware the Clippers have likely their toughest remaining test with a trip to 3A second-ranked Mount Vernon on January 9. Clear Creek Amana defeated Mount Vernon 70-49 last season in Tiffin. The Clippers have two games remaining with rival and 3A No. 14 Williamsburg, a road trip to 3A No. 10 Benton and close the regular season by hosting 4A No. 11 Marion.

Solon

Record: 9-1

Ranking: Class 3A No. 1

How’d it get here: Solon opened the season with six straight wins, a stretch that included three wins over ranked teams and home with over 5A No. 15 City High. Following a 58-37 loss to 4A No. 2 Clear Creek Amana the Spartans won their final three games of 2023 by an average of 33 points.

Who is standing out: Iowa commit Callie Levin continues to fill the stat sheet as well as any player in the state averaging 20.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 6 steals and 4.8 assists per game.

Who has stepped up: Senior forward Anna Quillin came on strong at the end of last season and has continued her high level of play to open this year. Quillin doesn’t score a bunch (5.6 points per game) but she is efficient on offense (60% field goal shooting) and averages a team-high 10 rebounds per game to go with 1.7 steals and 1.1 assists.

Stat that stands out: Despite playing more than half of its games against ranked teams or 5A competition the Spartans rank fifth in 3A in point differential outscoring opponents by an average of 21.6 points per game.

Best win: Solon has three wins over ranked teams including a pair of victories of top-three squads but its 49-48 victory over three-time defending 2A champion and top-ranked Dike-New Hartford back on November 25 is undoubtedly the best of the bunch.

Next game: Thursday at Class 3A No. 10 Benton (6-3).

Toughest remaining game: January 8 vs. 5A No. 14 West High (5-4)

What’s next: Already with a tough schedule Solon will be further tested down the stretch with five of its final 12 games against ranked competition. That stretch starts on Thursday with a trip to Benton Community and includes meetings with 3A second-ranked Mount Vernon on January 16 and February 2 and a trip to 4A No. 11 Marion. The toughest game in that stretch could be a home game on January 8 against a quickly improving West High team.

Regina

Record: 8-2

Ranking: Class 2A No. 3

How’d it get here: Regina is 7-0 against Class 2A and 1A competition this season winning games by an average of more than 40 points per game and has gone 1-2 against Class 3A and 4A competition defeating 4A No. 13 Maquoketa and falling to No. 10 Benton Community and No. 2 Mount Vernon.

Who is standing out: Junior point guard Morgan Miller continues to play at an all-state level and is off to the best start of her career averaging 19.8 points, 5 steals, 4.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.

Who has stepped up: In her first season of extend action junior Caitlin Martin has impressed averaging 8.2 points, a team-high 5.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 49 percent from the floor.

Stat that stands out: Regina ranks fifth in Class 2A in points per game at 63.8.

Best win: The Regals’ 66-60 win at 4A No. 13 Maquoketa (9-2) just keeps looking better as the Cardinals have won seven in a row including a 10-point victory over 4A eighth-ranked Central DeWitt on Tuesday.

Next game: Thursday at Lisbon (4-7).

Toughest remaining game: January 11 vs. Class 1A North Linn (9-1)

What’s next: Regina opened the new year with a 60-35 win over Burlington Notre Dame on Tuesday and travels to Lisbon (4-7) for a non-conference game on Thursday. The Regals then face their toughest stretch of the season with games against 3A No. 9 Monticello (10-1), Mid-Prairie (6-3) and 1A top-ranked North Linn (9-1) in a six-day span.

West Branch

Record: 2-8

Ranking: Not ranked

How’d it get here: West Branch lost six straight games to open the season under first-year head coach Justin Liddle before back-to-back wins over West Liberty and Burlington Notre Dame in a strong finish to December in which the Bears won two of the final three games.

Who is standing out: Senior Kylie Pickett is on her way to leading the Bears in scoring for the second year in a row averaging a team-high 10.1 points per game while shooting a career-best 39 percent (28-72) from 3-point range.

Who has stepped up: Thrust into a larger role in the Bear backcourt senior Alyse Klinkkammer has responded averaging a team-high 5 assists per game which ranks seventh in Class 2A to go with 4.3 points and 1.3 steals per game.

Stat that stands out: West Branch ranks fifth in 2A in 3-point attempts (235) and fourth in 2A in 3-point percentage (32.3).

Best win: The victory over Burlington Notre Dame (4-7) may be slightly more appealing on paper but the Bears’ 41-28 win over rival West Liberty on December 15 was the most impactful as it snapped a six-game skid to open the season.

Next game: Thursday against Cascade.

Toughest remaining game: January 26 at Class 2A No. 3 Regina (8-2)

What’s next: West Branch opened 2024 with a 54-44 loss at Camanche on Tuesday and hits the road again on Thursday to take on 2A No. 11 Cascade before facing Northeast (6-3) in the RVC cross-over in Maquoketa on Saturday. Things lightening significantly following Saturday West Branch faces a five-game stretch with just one opponent over .500 before traveling to 2A third-ranked Regina.

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