Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

SOLON – When Solon fell to Clear Lake in the substate title game last season Grant Gordon, Maddox Kelley and Simon Einwalter were sophomores getting their first real taste of postseason basketball.

On Thursday it was that trio that had eighth-ranked Solon looking like a veteran team poised for a deep postseason run.

Kelley, Gordon and Einwalter combined for 46 points as Solon pulled away late in a 71-51 win over Davenport Assumption in a Class 3A, Substate 4 semifinal at Solon.

“I think that experience last year, being in these types of games has really helped us,” Gordon said. “Going to Clear Lake, playing a game like that really helped prepare us for these moments this year.”

Solon (22-2) never trailed Thursday but the Spartans found themselves in a tight postseason fight in the third quarter.

Davenport Assumption (11-13) trimmed a five-point halftime lead for Solon to two midway through the third quarter.

That’s when the postseason savvy showed up for the Spartans.

Einwalter hit a 3-pointer from the corner that sparked a 10-4 Solon run to close the quarter.

“3-pointers haven’t always come easy to me but getting in the gym with these guys and getting that repetition has really helped,” Einwalter said. “That work gives me confidence to make those shots.”

Davenport Assumption never got closer than eight points the rest of the game as Solon advanced to host No. 10 Central DeWitt (15-8) in the Substate 4 title game on Monday at 7 p.m.

Central DeWitt defeated Marion 54-52 in the other Substate 4 semifinal on Thursday.

“It feels good,” Gordon said. “Our game plan was good. We knew their guys’ strengths and weaknesses and we played well within our scheme.”

Davenport Assumption focused it defensive game plan on slowing Solon junior standout Tate McCollum.

The Knights were successful in slowing McCollum’s scoring, holding the Spartan’s leading scorer to nine points, 11 below his season average.

But Assumption had little success stopping Solon’s offense.

Kelley and Gordon each had 18 points to lead Solon, combining to go 6-of-11 from 3-point range.

“If Tate’s open he’s going to shoot the ball and he’s going to make it,” Gordon said. “If he’s not open he’s going to find open guys and we are going to knock it down.”

Einwalter added 10 points and was one of seven Spartans to make a 3-pointer as Solon finished 11-of-22 from beyond the arc.

“Tate is a tremendous 3-pointer shooter, driver, facilitator and he draws so much attention that it allows other people to get open shots,” Einwalter said. “We have guys that can knock down those shots.”

Gordon went 4-of-8 from beyond the arc on his way to 18 points, 10 of which came in the second half as Solon put the game away.

“Grant found his shot tonight,” Solon coach Jared Galpin said. “He had been struggling the past couple of games and he found his shot. He knew he had to shoot and he shot with confidence.”

Henry Stremlow had 18 points and six rebounds to lead Davenport Assumption and Nolan Dittmer had 10 points, all of which came in the second quarter.

Solon limited Davenport Assumption to 41 percent shooting including just 2-of-16 from 3-point range.

“Our defense, it’s just trusting your teammates and knowing that they are going to be there in the right instances,” Einwalter said. “We wanted to compact the lane because we knew they weren’t a tremendous 3-point shooting team so we wanted to help off when we could.”

Davenport Assumption              7   16  15  13  –  51

Solon                                                 16  12  18  25  –  71

Davenport Assumption (51) – Synceare Simons 3-7 0-0 6, Drew Craig 0-1 0-0 0, Cale Shovlain 4-6 3-4 12, Henry Stremlow 7-15 4-4 18, Emmanuel Assefa 0-1 0-0 0, Aiden Nuci 0-3 0-0 0, Marcus Beinborn 2-9 0-0 5, Nolan Dittmer 4-7 2-4 10, Totals 20-49 9-12 51.

Solon (71) – Tate McCollum 2-9 4-4 9, Maddox Kelley 6-9 4-6 19, Grant Gordon 6-10 0-0 18, Kade Hoeper 1-1 0-0 2, Owen Bock 1-2 0-0 6, Ethan Ulch 1-2 0-0 3, Nick Gerdin 1-1 0-0 3, Simon Einwalter 4-8 1-1 10, Tanner Heims 1-4 0-0 2, Totals 23-46 14-17 71.

3-point field goal – DA 2-16 (Shovlain 1-2, Stremlow 0-4, Assefa 0-1, Nuci 0-2, Beinborn 1-7), SOL 11-22 (McCollum 1-5, Kelley 2-3, Gordon 4-8, Bock 1-1, Ulch 1-1, Gerdin 1-1, Einwalter 1-3). Rebounds – DA 33 (Simons 9), SOL 23 (Kelley 6). Turnovers – DA 16, SOL 11. Total fouls – DA 17, SOL 12. Fouled out – None. Technical fouls – None.

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