Springville’s girls basketball team members probably can’t remember an Orioles team not playing in the state tournament.
Montezuma’s girls can’t wait to get back.
“We look forward to playing against a traditional powerhouse in 1A girls basketball in the state of Iowa on Wednesday night!” said Bravettes Coach Janel Burgess.
So it will be game on! Wednesday night, Feb. 25, at 7 p.m. at West High in Iowa City. At stake: a berth in the state finals.
Springville is 20-4. Montezuma is 22-1.
The Orioles are shorter, but very skilled. Their mainstays are 5-10, 5-8, 5-7, 5-6 and 5-5. But don’t let that fool you: They are averaging the same 55 points a game on offense that were scored by their back-to-back-to-back state championship teams in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
This team is very young, listing one senior, six sophomores and seven freshmen on its roster.
The squad did make it to state last year, when it went 16-10 and was anchored by four seniors.
Lauren Wilson, a 5-10 sophomore, scores 16.8 points per game, averages nine rebounds and 3.75 assists. She’s a .489 field goal shooter on a squad that averages 4.11.
Morgan Nachazel, a 5-7 sophomore, scores 14 points a game and is a .359 shooter from three-point range.
Grace Matus, a 5-5 sophomore, scored 8.1 per contest and shoots .325 on threes.
Molly Stamp, a 5-8 freshman, averages 6.9 points.
And 5-6 sophomore Savannah Nealman scored 5.1 per game and dishes two assists.
Montezuma and Springville last met in 2016, a 41-37 Orioles win in the regional final in Marengo, on their way to the championship.
This year’s Bravettes are outscoring their opponents by 34.8 points per game, to Springville’s average margin of 19.0.
The Bravettes rank third in offense and fourth in defense and are the only rated team so highly ranked in both categories.
Another stat where there’s a noteworthy is difference is assists-to-turnovers. The Bravettes are at 331 assists to 197 turnovers. Springville is at 320 assists, to 346 turnovers.
The teams do have a few common opponents:
East Buchanan – Montezuma won 53-35. Springville split, 45-61, and 50-45.
Iowa Valley – Montezuma won 70-29. Springville won 62-33.
Sigourney – Montezuma won 67-35. Springville won 63-43.
Montezuma has put up some stunning numbers: The team is shooting .476 from the field, including .350 from three-point range. They fire at a healthy .695 rate from the free throw line.
Post forward Shateah Wetering (5-11) is getting better in multiple categories as her University of Iowa career draws nearer. She scores 23.4 points per game, averaging .588 from the field, including .385 on three-pointers and .773 from the foul line.
Wetering leads the team in rebounds (6.9 per game), and assists, at four a game, She has 68 steals and 25 blocks.
Guard Elise Boulton, 5-5, scores 12.9 a game and has nailed 67 treys on a .419 average from behind the arc. She is second in assists at 68.
The Bravettes have five girls scoring between 4.7 and 6.7 points per game: Maddy McKeag (6.7), Dylan Holland (6.0), Mia Boulton (5.1), Shelby Conger (4.7) and Shanae Wetering (3.9). All are capable of double-digit scoring on a given night.
McKeag stands 5-7, Holland is 5-10, Mia Boulton is 5-3, Conger is 5-9 and Shanae Wetering is 5-8.
Post forward Holland is a .629 field goal shooter and is second on the team in rebounds at five per game.
McKeag is second on the team in three-point shooting and has emerged as a major force on both ends of the floor during the final third of the season.
So, you have the major data. Now, it’s a matter of going out and executing on the court.