Montezuma’s varsity basketball teams will face Class 2A opponents Tuesday, Feb. 9, when they travel to Grundy Center.
They’re games that should benefit Montezuma – and perhaps the Spartans, too – as they prepare for post-season play.
GIRLS
Grundy Center and Montezuma are ranked seventh in their respective classes. So that should make the homestanding Spartans the favorite, right?
Well, maybe not. BCMoore Power Rankings calls the Bravettes a 6.5-point favorite. BCMoore likes Montezuma’s overall strength a little more.
But when the predicted margin is that close, it could be a great game. Last year, Montezuma won, 73-55.
This season, Grundy Center is 14-2 to Montezuma’s 18-1.
Bailey Reding, a 5-8 junior, scores 13.7 points per game and shoots .490 from the field. She averages 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists.
Lainey Thoren, a 5-11 junior, scores 13.6 points, pulls down 9.8 rebounds and dishes 2.6 assists. Thoren is the tallest Spartan, by three full inches according to their roster.
Paiton Willis, a 5-8 junior, averages 9.3 points and 2.9 assists.
Grundy Center began the week with nine straight wins, and has a game scheduled for Monday evening.
The Bravettes come in having won 18 in a row.
Elise Boulton, a 5-5 senior, averages 16.1 points and 6.0 assists.
Mia Boulton, a 5-3 sophomore, scores 13.2 per game.
Shanae Wetering, a 5-11 junior, averages 11.6 points and 4.5 rebounds.
Dylan Holland, a 5-11 senior, averages 11.0 points and 9.0 rebounds.
The Bravettes have outscored their opponents by an average of 77-29, or 38 points per game. For Grundy Center, it’s 54-39, or 15 points per contest.
BOYS
Grundy Center is 12-4 and unranked in Class 2A. The Braves are 16-2 and are ranked 8th in Class 1A.
Last year, Montezuma won 61-54 and BCMoore makes Montezuma a six-point favorite this season.
Brayden Sawyer, a 5-9 senior for the Spartans, scores 14.4 points per game and shoots .514 from the field and .462 on three-pointers.
Wes Willis, a 6-2 senior, averages 10.9 points per game.
Dayne Zinkula, 5-10, scores 9.1 per game, gets 5.7 rebounds and dishes 3.3 assists.
Nick Ascher, a 6-4 senior, averages 6.3 rebounds.
Grundy Center is outscoring opponents by an average of 60 to 47. For Montezuma, those numbers are 76 and 49, and that scoring average is the second-highest in Class 1A.
Trey Shearer, a 5-10 senior, throws in 27.6 points per game, pulls down 5.5 rebounds, and dishes out 4.9 assists. He’s a .580 field goal shooter, which includes .483 from behind the arc.
Cole Watts, a 5-10 senior, scores 19.8 per game, gets 6.9 rebounds, and hands out 3.5 assists. Watts shoots .593 from the field and .505 on three-pointers.
Eddie Burgess, 6-4 senior, scores 13.2 points, grabs 12.1 rebounds, and dishes 3.6 assists.
Masin Shearer, a 5-8 sophomore, scores 7.2 points and hands out 3.2 asists.
With the return of Burgess, four Braves have settled into roles for the team.
Cam Johnson has become a strong defender for the Braves, often taking on the opposition’s leading scorer.
Gavin Strong had provided a scoring spark in recent games, both from long range and off short drives.
Owen Cook has helped to clog the middle on defense and helps to block off the boards.
And Masin Shearer has been getting loose for shots on offense, helping to make the Braves an overall more difficult team to defend.