Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Happy holidays!

Prior to Christmas I put my boys basketball notes from the season to date into a notebook story.

Now for some-post Christmas day reading I’ve done the same thing with my girls basketball notes.

I’ve had an opportunity to see all seven Your Prep Sports area teams in action this season.

While covering games I often write down notes outside of the statistics I keep that I’ll go back and review following the game.

Enjoy.

West High

The duo of junior Grance Fincham and Sasha Baldwin was expected to be among the top combos in the state this season.

Fincham and Baldwin have lived up to that expectation combining to average 28.1 points, 12 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game.

Both Fincham and Baldwin have evolved their all-around game from a year ago.

Fincham has been effective both on the perimeter and in the post while averaging a team-high 15 points and 6.9 rebounds per game while shooting 51 percent from the floor.

Baldwin is more aggressive and decisive in her second season while averaging 13.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists.

Since starting the season 6-of-19 from 3-point range Baldwin has made 22-of-43 3-pointers over the past seven games and is shooting 45 percent from three on the season.

The improvement of Baldwin and Fincham has been key in a 7-3 start to West High but what has stood out most is the growth of the supporting cast.

West High has gotten solid contributions from all seven players in its regular rotation.

Junior Abby Neumiller is averaging 8.1 points per game, junior point guard Ava Frese leads the team with 3.3 assists per game, senior Elle Barnett averages 2.8 rebounds.

Junior Kate Van Waning has been among the most improved an is averaging 4.5 rebounds and has emerged as an effective perimeter defender and junior Lauryn Hynek has given energy in solid minutes after 1.1 rebounds and 2.5 points per game.

City High

This City High group is different than the teams that won 14 games combined over the previous two seasons.

Exhibit A is how the Little Hawks concluded 2024.

A little more than 12 hours after a disappointing 17-point loss at West High the Little Hawks opened the game on a 16-2 run and cruised to a 66-39 win over 4A No. 14 Marion on Saturday in its final game before break.

That bounce back win shows the leadership and maturity in the City High program this season.

Another area of growth that has been evident this year while watching City High is its offensive continuity.

City High has a balanced and talented offensive group.

Led by junior Tessa Driscoll (14.4) and senior August Palmer (12.9) the Little Hawks have six players averaging between 4.2 and 14.4 points per game.

City High is at its best when it shares the ball and is balanced.

The Little Hawks averaged 10.2 assists per game two seasons and 14.1 assists per game last season.

This year that number is up slightly to 14.2 assists per game as the Little Hawks have had six different players scored in double figures during a 6-2 start to the season.

Liberty High

Natalie Ramsey!

That’s the note that’s been written every time I’ve watched Liberty High this season.

The junior forward was a great story a year ago when she burst onto the scene averaging 14.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.

This season the South Dakota commit is playing at an all-state level on both ends of the court.

Ramsey is averaging 23 points, 9 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 1.4 assists per game while helping Liberty High to a 5-2 start.

The 6-foot Ramsey is one of the more difficult matchups in the state with her ability to score at all three levels.

Ramsey is shooting 48 percent from the floor, had six 3-pointers and has already shot 44 free throws where she is converting at a 93 percent rate.

Solon

Solon isn’t going anywhere.

The Spartans certainly aren’t the same team they were a season ago with four starters gone from the 3A state title team.

However, the Spartans have showed early this season the quality of program that has been built by Jamie Smith.

Solon is 3-4 with all four losses coming to ranked teams including losses to 3A top-ranked Mount Vernon, 4A No. 12 Clear Creek Amana and 5A No. 12 West High.

The Spartans have been solid defensively holding opponents to 47 points per game and are led offensively by junior guard Delainey Durr (12.6 points per game) and senior Kobi Lietz (10.3 ppg).

Solon is starting two sophomores in Laney Johnson (7.4 ppg) and Jerzey Haluska (4.6 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and a freshman in Beckett Kruse (7.7 ppg, 7.1 rpg) and every other player to see action is a freshman or sophomore.

Clear Creek Amana

Following an undefeated state championship season a year ago seeing the Clippers start 3-4 is a bit or a surprise.

After watching the Clippers multiple times this season I feel comfortable saying this team will be once again be squarely in the state tournament mix in February.

All four early losses for the Clippers have come to ranked teams including a pair of 5A teams in West High and Liberty High.

Clear Creek Amana has a star in junior Averie Lower who has picked up where she left off following an all-state sophomore season averaging 22.1 points, 8 rebounds, 3.6 steals and 2.4 assists per game.

And the Clippers have a stellar coaching staff led by PJ Sweeney.
There were pieces to move around early this season and the Clippers should be a much different team after the Holiday break than they were before.

Junior Lena Evans missed the final game before break but is averaging 12.7 points per game and Kennedy Stratton is averaging 9.6 points and 4.6 assists per game.

The talent is there and as the Clippers begin to put things together they are once again going to be a tough team to beat.

West Branch

It’s been a tough start for the Bears with seven consecutive losses following a season-opening win over Iowa Valley.

The seven consecutive losses make my main observation from watching West Branch even more impressive.

This West Branch team plays extremely hard.

Second-year head coach Justin Liddle has West Branch battling on every possession and that is going to turn into wins at some point this season.

West Branch erased a seven-point halftime deficit in a 49-48 loss at West Liberty in its final game before break.

Juniors Addie Schultes (4.9 points, 3.5 rebounds) and Lexi Skay (4.5 points, 8.6 rebounds) have been early bright spots for West Branch which has plenty of winnable games coming up in 2025 starting with a games against Tipton (5-3) and Burlington Notre Dame (1-6).

Regina

Freshman guard Addie McLaughlin has been outstanding to start her career averaging 16.9 points, 6.1 assists and 4.8 steals per game while shooting 52 percent in her first eight games.

However the main takeaway from a dominant 8-0 start to the season for Regina has been the play of senior guard Morgan Miller.

Miller has been as good as any player in the state through the holiday break.
The 5-foot-6 senior ranks fourth in the state in scoring (26.9), eighth in field goal percentage (65.6), 11^th in steals (6.1) and 33^rd in assists (5).

Miller is also averaged 3.2 rebounds per game and is shooting 42 percent from 3-point range and has an assist to turnover ration of 4-to-1.

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