GRUNDY CENTER – An up-tempo pace favored Montezuma’s offense, and the Bravettes led from start to finish in a 64-49 win over Class 2A Grundy Center on Tuesday evening, Feb. 9.
The win, over a Spartans team that was ranked 7th in Class 2A and was 15-2 coming in, was the 19th in a row for the Bravettes, who closed out their regular season with a 19-1 record.
“We are constantly becoming a more cohesive team and I believe this game was another step to us reaching our fullest potential,” said Bravettes Coach Janel Burgess. “This team is committed to each other and it is displayed every night.”
Senior guard Elise Boulton repeatedly burned the Spartans with her dribble drives and step-back three-pointers. She scored 27 points, and splashed down five three-pointers. She benefited from some strong ball screens from teammate Shanae Wetering.
The Bravettes had four double figures scorers. Post player Dylan Holland scored 14, Wetering dropped in 11 and Kierstyn Price scored 10.
Mia Boulton didn’t score in this game, but Price stepped up eight of her points coming in the first half.
Montezuma expanded a 22-17 lead to 41-26 by halftime.
Post Bailey Reding scored 17 points in the first half to keep the Spartans in the game. The 5-8 Reding finished with 23 points on 10-for-16 shooing. “Our defense o the post was definitely not our best,” Burgess said. “But I thought we did a very solid job on their exterior players, which took them out of their rhythm.”
But Grundy Center was hurt when point guard Paiton Wallis picked up her third personal foul in the first quarter.
Montezuma was slick handling the ball, not making a turnover until there were just 35 seconds left in the third quarter. By then, the Bravettes were up by 20 points.
The Bravettes switched defenses and had their best success when they were able to keep the ball on one side of the floor or the other, without post entry passes to Reding.
Grundy Center was able to make just one three-pointer and that came late in the contest. The Spartans were playing their third game in four nights. The Bravettes dropped in seven from behind the three-point arc.
UP NEXT – The Bravettes start post-season play against Iowa Valley on Tuesday, Feb 16, in Montezuma.
JV GIRLS WIN – Montezuma was a 29-27 winner in junior varsity action.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Montezuma 22 19 13 10 – 64
Grundy Center 17 9 10 13 – 49
MONTEZUMA (64)
Shanae Wetering 5-13, 1-2, 4, 11. Kierstyn Price 3-4, 3-3, 1, 10. Mia Boulton 0-10, 0-0, 1, 0. Elise Boulton 10-16, 2-2, 2, 27. Dylan Holland 6-8, 1-2, 2, 14. Madison Johannes 1-3, 0-0, 2, 2. TOTALS – 25-54, 7-9, 12, 64.
GRUNDY CENTER (49)
TOTALS – 22-50, 4-8, 12, 49.
Line score legend: Field goals made-attempted, free throws made-attempted, personal fouls, total points.
Turnovers: Grundy Center 8, Montezuma 2.
Three-point goals: Grundy Center 1-13, Montezuma 7-25 (E. Boulton 5-8, Price 1-2, Holland 1-1, Wetering 0-3, Johannes 0-1, M. Boulton 0-10).
Rebounds: Grundy Center 30, Montezuma 23 (Wetering 7, Holland 7, E. Boulton 5, Price 2, M. Boulton 1, Johannes 1).
Assists: Grundy Center 13, Montezuma 10 (E. Boulton 3, Wetering 2, Holland 2, M. Boulton 2, Price 1).
Steals: Grundy Center 1, Montezuma 7 (M. Boulton 3, Wetering 1, Price 1, E. Boulton 1, Holland 1).
Blocks: Grundy Center 4, Montezuma none.