One aspect of the state finals is getting the chance to play against teams you haven’t played before.
Last year, Saint Ansgar was a new experience for the Bravettes in the quarterfinal round. It wasn’t the best experience.
The Saints beat the Bravettes 51-46, after Montezuma was tied at 18-18 at halftime – and ahead 32-29 after three quarters.
The useful takeaway for the Bravettes was that the Saints are rangy and they move their feet reasonably well. That didn’t help Montezuma last year – that game ended the Bravettes’ season. But knowing what likely is coming could help them a lot this time around.
Both teams come in at 22-1. The Saint Ansgar loss was to Osage, a school in their conference. Montezuma has won them all since losing their season opener to Pella Christian.
It wasn’t easy to drive through the Saints last season, and not really easy to pass over them.
But it can be done. In the semifinals, Newell-Fonda passed the ball straight ahead, except for an occasional dish to the wings, and beat Saint Ansgar 84-33.
So, a look at Saint Ansgar starters who stand 6-2, 6-1, 6-0, 5-11 and 5-6 isn’t a death sentence for Montezuma.
The Bravettes aren’t exactly short inside, and they have become an outstanding passing and shooting team. And oh, can they play defense!
The girls union has Saint Ansgar as the third seed in this year’s tourney field, with Montezuma at number six.
But BCMoore Rankings sees it a little differently. They have the Bravettes at fifth, and St. Ansgar at seventh.
Their favorite: Montezuma, by .26 of one point. That’s as thin as a gnat’s eyelash.
You never know.
Hali Anderson, a 5-6 senior, leads the Saints with a 14.3 scoring average. She shoots .477 from the field, including .282 from three-point range. And she is St. Ansgar’s main three-point shooter.
Gracie Urbatsch, a 6-0 senior, scores 11.9 per game, shoots .477 from the field and averages 6.0 rebounds.
Brooklyn Hackbart, a 5-11 senior, scores 8.8 points a game, shoots .363, and pulls down 8.8 rebounds.
Andriana Kruse, a 6-1 junior, averages 7.2 points on .532 shooting.
Madison Hillman, a 6-2 sophomore, scores 9.9 pints per game, shoots .526, and averages 3.6 offensive rebounds.
This is a team that makes a pretty good living on offensive rebound putbacks, so the Bravettes will need to body up on them.
For the Bravettes, it’s the usual cast: 5-5 senior Elise Boulton averages 16.9 points, shoots .433 from the field and .424 from three-point land, and she dishes 5.9 assists.
Shanae Wetering, a 5-11 junior, scores 12.6 per game and shoot .545.
Mia Boulton, 5-3, scores 11.4 points and shoots .397 on three-pointers.
Dylan Holland, 5-10, scores 10.7 points, shoots .610 from the field and pulls down 9.5 rebounds. And she and Wetering can be post-crushers on defense.
THEY PLAY – At 8 p.m. Wednesday in Wells Fargo Arena, the final game of the quarterfinal round.