EDDYVILLE – For three quarters, the Montezuma Bravettes were right there with Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, the top-rated Class 2A team in the state.
The score was tied at 35-35 going into the final minutes.
Montezuma’s Vivian Cook splashed down a three-pointer to open the fourth quarter.
Then, the dam broke. The Rockets changed their strategy on offense and outscored the Bravettes 22-3 the rest of the way, and remained unbeaten with a 57-41 victory.
This was a battle of zone defenses and the decision was going to go to the team that first figured how to crack the other’s zone.
The Rockets, who have three players 6-0 or taller, threw up a wide 2-3 zone and made the Bravettes, who sometimes play with a four-guard lineup, go around it.
The Bravettes also went zone and finally forced a tactical change from the Rockets.
E-B-F elected to overload one side of Montezuma’s zone with an extra offensive player, then go with a short entry pass. It worked. Suddenly, the Rockets were taking the ball to the basket and finishing at the rim.
Early in the game, Montezuma shot three-balls over and sometimes through the E-B-F zone. They made seven of them in the first half, and added three more after intermission.
The Bravettes scored 30 of their 41 points from behind the arc.
E-B-F led 10-9 after one quarter, but the Bravettes hit a late trey to go up 21-18 at halftime.
For each side, it was a creditable performance against a good team.
Ellen Cook was the only Bravette to score in double figures, but she had a spectacular 15-points effort, which included five-for-eight on three-pointers.
Claire Erselius chipped in with 8. She also had 5 assists to lead in that category.
Montezuma got a modest 5 points from center Shiressa Wetering, but she led the team in rebounds with 6 and also blocked shots with 4.
Syd Burgess had 5 rebounds and led with 3 steals. She also blocked a shot.
The Bravettes shot .341 from the field, but managed to assist on 12 of their 15 field goals.
The Rockets stand at 21-0.
The Bravettes, who haven’t lost to a Class 1A school, are 15-5.
UP NEXT – Montezuma closes regular season play at Albia on Tueday.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Montezuma 9 12 14 6 – 41
E-B-F 10 8 17 22 – 57
MONTEZUMA (41) – Ellen Cook 5-9, 0-0, 4, 15; Vivian Cook 2-14, 0-0, 2, 6; Syd Burgess 2-4, 0-1, 3, 4; Claire Erselius 3-9, 0-0, 2, 8; Shiressa Wetering 2-7, 1-4, 2, 5; Lauryn Larmore 1-1, 0-0, 1, 3. TOTALS – 15-44, 1-5, 14, 41.
LINE SCORE LEGEND: field goals made-attempted, free throws made-attempted, personal fouls, total points.
Three-pointers: 10-30 (E. Cook 5-8; Erselius 2-7; V. Cook 2-14; Larmore 1-1).
Turnovers: 14.
Rebounds: 16 (Wetering 6, Burgess 5, E. Cok 4, Erselius 1).
Assists: 12 (Erselius 5, Burgess 3, v. Cook 2, E. Cook 1, Wetering 1).
Steals: 8 (Burgess 3, V. Cook 2, Wetering 2, Erselius 1).
Blocks: 5 (Wetering 4, Burgess 1).