NEW SHARON – The Montezuma Bravettes won’t lose their first basketball game of the season in Wells Fargo Arena.
A veteran North Mahaska team made it happen in New Sharon, beating the Bravettes 58-46 Monday evening, Jan. 27.
It was fast-paced, intense and physical with players from both sides bumping, diving and flailing away for loose balls, yet still keeping their wits about them to execute at a high level.
The Warhawks made more big plays and emerged victorious.
“We will learn from this game and know that all 50-50 balls and rebounds have to be a high priority in a high-energy game like Monday night,” Bravettes Coach Janel Burgess said.
First, there was North Mahaska senior Jade Hay, who splashed down four three-balls in the first quarter, proving the Warhawks could put up points against the Bravettes’ defense.
North Mahaska led 29-20 at halftime. Both teams played man-to-man defense during the half, but the Warhawks clamped on a full-court zone in the third quarter, and it had immediate impact.
Bravette shooting star Shateah Wetering picked up her third personal foul trying to dribble through the press, then Hay stuck her fifth trey of the game to make it 36-22 at the 3:19 mark of the quarter.
After an empty Bravettes’ possession, Hay scored a layup to make it 38-22 with 2:50 left in the third.
“I was proud of our fight in the fourth quarter and out ability to stay focused when we dug ourselves into a deep hole early in the second half,” Burgess. said.
Wetering, limited to eight points in the first half, got going now and Montezuma, in a press of its own now, started back.
Maddy McKeag made two free throws with 3:56 left to cut it to 46-37.
Then Mia Boulton dropped in a three-ball, cutting it to 46-40 with 3:20 left.
But now North Mahaska took a calculated risk. After breaking pressure, the Warhawks passed the ball back out front and killed some clock.
North Mahaska sealed the deal by going six-for-seven for seven from the free throw line in the final two minutes, Paige Layman leading that charge with six conversions. “Our communication with each other never changed,” Burgess said. “Our kids were positive, united and always believed in themselves,” she said.
Wetering scored 16 second half points and finished, unofficially, with 24. Maddy McKeag scored 10, but Montezuma scoring dropped to three points behind her.
Hay had a 22-point, five three-balls game she’ll not soon forget for North Mahaska. She was five-for-six from behind the arc, and entered the game shooting over 50 percent on threes. That’s incredible; still the Bravettes struggled to get out on her.
Defense did a lot for North Mahaska. The Bravettes, normally sharpshooters, fired at a .321 rate from the field in this one, including four-for-24 (.167) from behind the arc, normally another Bravette stronghold.
North Mahaska shot .457 from the field.
The Bravettes had just five assists on 17 made field goals. They encountered tangled passing lanes.
The real kicker for Montezuma: The scoring balance the team has been trying to develop didn’t appear in this one. Wetering was tough as usual. Her 24 points came on 11-for-27 field goal shooting – but she was 0-for-5 from behind the arc – so her scoring totals are close to normal.
Maddy McKeag scored 10 points and was pretty solid all-around. She was three-for-seven from the field.
But the rest of the Bravettes were a combined three-for-19. That’s just 16 percent. Only three other players scored baskets, and it was limited one apiece.
The Bravettes are 13-1. North Mahaska is 11-2.
“We will grow and we will get better from this,” Burgess said. “This is one step in our journey of this awesome season!”
Will these teams meet again? If they do, it would be in the regional tournament. And that has happened before. The saga continues . . .
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Montezuma 14 6 6 20 – 46
North Mahaska 16 13 11 15 – 58
MONTEZUMA (46) – Maddy McKeag 3-7, 2-2, 3, 10. Shanae Wetering 0-0, 0-0, 3, 0. Mia Boulton 1-7, 0-0, 3, 0. Shateah Wetering 11-27, 2-3, 5, 24. Elise Boulton 0-6, 3-6, 1, 6. Carissa Van Zee 1-2, 0-0, 0, 3. Shelby Conger 0-3, 0-0, 1, 0. Dylan Holland 1-1, 1-2, 1, 3. TOTALS – 17-53, 8-13, 18, 46.
NORTH MAHASKA (58)
TOTALS -21-46, 10-14, 18, 58.
Line score legend: Field goals made-attempted, free throws made-attempted, personal fouls, total points.
Turnovers: Montezuma 10, North Mahaska 16.
Rebounds: Montezuma 27 (Shat. Wetering 12, Holland 3, McKeag 2, M. Boulton 2, E. Boulton 2, Shan. Wetering 1, Van Zee 1, Conger 1, team 3); North Mahaska 31.
Three-point goals: Montezuma 4-24 (McKeag 2, M. Boulton 1, Van Zee 1); North Mahaska 6-15.
Assists: McKeag 1, M. Boulton 1, Shat. Wetering 1, E. Boulton 1, Conger 1).
Steals: Shat. Wetering 3, E. Boulton 3, Holland 2, Van Zee 1.
Deflections: McKeag 1, M. Boulton 1.
Blocks: Shat. Wetering 2, McKeag 1.
