Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

SOLON – When a team is trying to climb the basketball mountain at some point it needs to get over the hump against the teams that have spent the most time at the top.

Solon did exactly that for the second time this season with a 55-43 win over perennial power and defending WAMAC East Division champion Marion on Tuesday.

The win was the third straight for Solon (4-2) which already owns a victory over Class 3A fifth-ranked Center Point-Urbana and sits atop the East Division standings at 4-1.

“This is big for our program,” Solon coach Jamie Smith said. “I have the most respect in the world for Marion and what they’ve done but I’m not going to lie when we get up in the morning and it says Solon at the top of those standings it’s going to feel good.”

Freshman Callie Levin scored a game-high 20 points to lead three Solon players in double figures as the Spartans snapped a seven-game losing skid to Marion (1-2).

Makinley Levin had 11 points and Hilary Wilson scored all 10 of her points in a crucial third quarter in which Solon outscored Marion 20-5 to break opener a three-point halftime lead.

“We have beat some of the best programs and that’s important because we are trying to build our program to the highest we can get it,” Callie Levin said. “It’s exciting what we have done so far.”

Marion jumped to an early 8-3 lead and led 14-7 when Ava Attwood converted a conventional 3-point play with 1:35 left in the first quarter.

From that point on Solon locked down on defense, allowing just 14 points over the next 17 plus minutes.

“It was 12-5 and I thought we defended pretty well after that,” Smith said. “Against those guys if you don’t get some ball pressure they are going to get some stuff inside so I thought we defended well.”

Solon took the lead for good on a 3-point by Jada Buffington with 6:48 left in the first half and led 29-26 at intermission.

The Spartans put the game out of reach with a dominant third quarter.

Wilson scored six points in a 9-3 Solon run to open the second half pushing the lead to 38-29 with back-to-back driving layups.

“I just think we were in their heads,” Wilson said. “We came out stronger in the second half and kind of pulled away.”

After an Ella Bockenstendt put back cut the lead to 38-31 Solon closed the quarter on a 11-0 run that pushed the lead to 49-31.

Wilson twice jumped into passing lanes for steals that led to transition layups as Solon used its half court pressure defense to force 27 Marion turnovers.

“That is something that we work on all the time in practice is getting in passing lanes,” Wilson said. “We work on defense every day in practice.”

Solon held Marion scoreless for the final 4:26 of the third quarter while building its 18-point lead.

Marion went a combined 4-of-22 from the field in the second and third quarters while being outscored 34-14.

There were some three or four-minute stretches where we scored and they didn’t,” Smith said. “I thought Hilary did a great job of getting in passing lanes.”

While Solon caused Marion problems with its pressure defense the Spartans were equally effective on offense using its quickness on the perimeter to get to the basket.

Solon shot 41 percent from the floor despite going just 3-of-15 from 3-point range.

Callie Levin and junior guard Kaia Holtkamp got into the lane often.

Levin finished in the paint, racking up 20 points, while Holtkamp set up teammates for open looks and had seven points on four field goal attempts.

“Coach Smith always stresses that we need to get to the hoop,” Levin said. “If our shots aren’t on that’s what we need and the second quarter we came out and built on our lead.”

Sadie Struchen led Marion with 17 points as the Indians shot 33 percent from the field.

“I know there are cliches and every game is important but that’s a big win for our program,” Smith said. “Our locker room is rocking right now. We talk about where we want to be and we want to be in the same conversation with Marion.”

Marion           17   9    5   12 –  43

Solon              15  14  20   6  –  55

Marion (43) – Ava Attwood 2-4 2-5 6, Reagan Rice 0-3 0-0 0, Grace Stephenson 0-1 0-0 0, Sadie Struchen 5-13 2-2 17, Mila Van Weelden 3-3 1-2 7, Madison Prier 2-14 3-6 7, Ella Bockenstedt 3-8 0-0 6 Totals 15-46  8-15 43.

Solon (55) – Claire LaDage 1-5 2-2 4, Ava Stebral 0-3 0-0 0, Kaia Holtkamp 2-4 2-2 7, Makinley Levin 4-13 2-4 11, Callie Levin 8-17 4-4 20, Jada Buffington 1-2 0-0 3, Hilary Wilson 4-4 2-2 10, Elly Holubar 0-1 0-0 0, Totals 20-49 12-14 55.

3-point field goals – SOL 3-15 (LaDage 0-2, Stebral 0-3, Holtkamp 1-2, M. Levin 1-3, C. Levin 0-4, Buffington 1-1), MAR 5-15 (Attwood 0-1, Rice 0-2, Stephenson 0-1, Struchen 5-10, Prier 0-1). Rebounds – SOL 31 (Ladage, M. Levin 8), MAR 32 (Attwood 6). Turnovers – SOL 20, MAR 27. Total fouls – SOL 16, MAR 9. Technical fouls – Solon (Team). Fouled out – None.

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