The late Will Robinson, a noted men’s basketball coach at Illinois State University, is credited with this quote:
“If you score, you may win. But if they never score, you can never lose. Defense wins championships.”
Hang on to that one as this now 17-1 Montezuma Bravettes basketball season pushes deeper.
It’s particularly good to remember after the Bravettes scored a 76-9 victory over BGM at home Tuesday, Feb. 4.
Note that BGM brought a 9-10 record into the game.
“The defensive intensity we played with tonight was unique in itself,” said Bravettes Coach Janel Burgess. “We were very disciplined and didn’t go for steals, but still contested every shot.”
You can say that again. BGM was 3-for-38 from the field. That works out to 7.9 percent.
Montezuma led 23-0 after one quarter, 47-3 at halftime and 66-4 through three periods.
Usually, holding a team to single digit scoring in one quarter is considered good. But for an entire ballgame . . .
Shateah Wetering scored 25 points, Elise Boulton splashed down 18 and Shelby Conger put in 10 for Montezuma.
“Our ball movement was tremendous, with 21 assists on 29 made baskets,” Burgess said.
Shateah Wetering was 9-for-12 from the field and hit four three-point baskets. She also grabbed six rebounds, had four steals, two deflection and two blocked shots.
Elise Boulton was deadly from deep, nailing six-of-seven three-point balls. She also led the team with five assists.
Conger was four-for-five from the field and had three deflections.
Dylan Holland led Bravettes rebounders with eight, had three assists and was two-for-three from the field.
Maddy McKeag grabbed three rebounds, dished three assists, had two steals, and two blocked shots.
The Bravettes shot .630 from the field, including a stunning 12-for-20 (.600) from behind the arc. Montezuma also led 33-17 in rebounds.
UP NEXT – Montezuma has a home makeup date Thursday, Feb. 6, against Belle Plaine.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
BGM 0 3 1 5 – 9
Montezuma 23 24 19 10 – 76
MONTEZUMA (76) – Maddy McKeag 0-1, 0-0, 0, 0. Shanae Wetering 0-3, 1-2, 1, 1. Kierstyn Price 0-1, 0-0, 0, 0. Mia Boulton 2-4, 0-0, 1, 6. Shateah Wetering 9-12, 3-4, 0, 25. Ayssa Cline 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0. Elise Boulton 6-7, 0-0, 1, 18. Carissa Van Zee 1-3, 0-0, 1, 2. Shelby Conger 4-5, 2-2, 0, 10. Waverly Roorda 2-2, 0-0, 0, 4. Madison Johannes 1-2, 0-0, 1, 2. Dylan Holland 2-3, 0-0, 1, 4. Madelyn DeJong 2-3, 0-0, 1, 4. Kallie Robison 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0. Ashlyn Krousie 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0. Korinn Kehoe 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0. TOTALS – 29-46, 6-8, 7, 76.
BGM (9)
TOTALS – 3-38, 1-4, 6, 9.
Line score legend: Field goals made-attempted, free throws made-attempted, personal fouls, total points.
Turnovers: Montezuma 5, BGM 15.
Rebounds: Montezuma 33 (Holland 8, Shat. Wetering 6, Van Zee 4, McKeag 3, Shan. Wetering 3, Price 3, M. Boulton 1, E. Boulton 1, Conger 1, Johannes 1, DeJong 1, team 1); BGM 17.
Three-point goals: Montezuma 12-20 (E. Boulton 6, Shat. Wetering 4, M. Boulton 2); BGM 2-14.
Assists: E. Boulton 5, Shat. Wetering 4, McKeag 3, Holland 3, Cline 3, M. Boulton 2, Shan. Wetering 1.
Steals: Shat. Wetering 4, McKeag 2, Shan. Wetering 1, E. Boulton 1, Van Zee 1, Conger 1, Johannes 1, Holland 1.
Deflections: Van Zee 3, Conger 3, Shat. Wetering 2, E. Boulton 2, McKeag 1, Holland 1, DeJong 1.
Blocks: McKeag 2, Shat. Wetering 2, Van Zee 1.
