Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – What’s the old saying?

Defense wins championships.

Third-ranked Solon didn’t win a title on Thursday but it is defense that has the Spartans playing for a championship.

Solon conducted a defensive masterclass in a 49-25 win over second-ranked Des Moines Christian (24-2) in a Class 3A semifinal at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

“It’s the best team I’ve ever coached defensively and that might be one of the best high school defensive games I’ve ever seen,” Solon coach Jamie Smith said. “I’m biased but I don’t know what else you can say about it.”

Solon forced 26 turnovers and held Des Moines Christian to 19 percent shooting from the field while advancing to the state title game for the fifth time in program history and first since 1998.

The win was the 11^th in a row for Solon (23-3) which will face top-ranked Estherville Lincoln Central (24-2) in the Class 3A title game on Friday at 8 p.m.

“Obviously we pride ourselves on our defense,” Solon senior Mia Stahle said. “We try to get up in people’s grills and cause turnovers which then leads to our offense so forcing 26 was huge for us.”

Stahle had 10 of her game-high 14 points in the second half and Hailey Miller continued her strong state tournament play that dates back to last season with 10 points and six rebounds.

However, it was defense that has Solon in position to claim its fourth state title.

Solon didn’t allow more than 10 points in a quarter and held Des Moines Christian to seven made field goals while snapping the Lions’ 21-game winning streak.

“I think defensively we were just on our game,” Solon senior Anna Quillin said. “Our team chemistry is off the charts. Our defense is amazing.”

Solon set the tone early with what else but defense.

Using its half-court pressure player-to-player defense Solon held Des Moines Christian scoreless for more than four minutes to open the game.

“You have Mia on the ball, you have Kobi on the ball and they just pressure the crap out of you,” Solon senior Callie Levin said. “I don’t think they were used to that and it made them turn over the ball. We just really pressed on our defense.”

Levin scored on a layup off a steal and Kobi Lietz had a transition basket as Solon took a 4-0 lead it would never give up.

Solon held Des Moines Christian without a made field goal in the opening quarter, allowing just three field goal attempts while forcing 11 turnovers and building a 10-6 lead.

“We got a turnover and a basket and that’s the second game we’ve done that and that sets a tone,” Smith said. “Just the way we played, the way we won this game was different.”

Solon closed the first half on a 15-2 run building a 25-10 cushion by intermission.

Des Moines Christian shot 18 percent (2-of-11) from the field and had 16 turnovers in the first half as Solon turned the 16 turnovers into 11 points.

“We always pride ourselves on our defense, playing up in their grill and not letting them breathe,” Stahle said. “I don’t think they were ready for that at all.”

Stahle helped put the game away in the second half.

The senior guard went 2-of-3 from 3-point range in the second half as Solon pushed the lead to 39-20 after three quarters.

Levin had nine points and four assists and Quillin had six points and eight rebounds for the Spartans.

“We knew that they were going to guard Callie and Hailey really tight because they are our leading scorers, so they left Kobi and I wide open and we had to take those shots,” Stahle said. “They weren’t falling the first half but we kept shooting and they started going in.”

Abby Hall had nine points to lead Des Moines Christian but was the only Lion with more than four points.

Des Moines Christian      6    4   10   5  –  25

Solon                                      10  15  14  10 –  49               

Des Moines Christian (25) – Addy Oetker 1-7 2-2 4, Tori Burton 1-5 1-1 3, Paige Hilgerson 0-0 2-2 2, Gianna Bennett 2-5 0-0 4, Abby Hall 2-8 4-4 9, Meg Muller 0-3 0-0 0, Ellie Owen 0-3 0-0 0, Grace Hudson 1-1 0-0 3, Etta Fish 0-2 0-0 0, Catie Hall 0-2 0-0 0, Totals 7-36 9-9 25.

Solon (49) – Kobi Lietz 3-8 1-2 7, Hailey Miller 3-13 2-4 10, Mia Stahle 6-12 0-0 14, Anna Quillin 3-9 0-1 6, Callie Levin 2-12 5-7 9, Delainey Durr 0-2 0-0 0, Laney Johnson 0-1 0-0 0, Laeni Hinkle 1-1 0-0 2, Jerzey Haluska 0-0 1-2 1, Totals 18-57 9-16 49.

3-point field goals – DMC 2-10 (Hall 1-4, Muller 0-1, Owen 0-2, Fish 0-1, Hudson 1-1, Hall 0-1), SOL 4-21 (Lietz 0-3, Miller 2-5, Stahle 2-6, Quillin 0-1, Levin 0-5, Johnson 0-1). Rebounds – DMC 33 (Oetker 13), SOL 36 (Quillin 8). Assists – DMC 4 (Oetker 4), SOL 8 (Levin 4). Turnovers – DMC 26, SOL 11. Total fouls – DMC 17, SOL 11. Fouled out – None. Technical fouls – None.

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