SULLY – It started with defense for the Montezuma girls, but it didn’t end there.
The Bravettes used a stifling full court zone defense, blended in good ball movement and shooting accuracy on offense, and came away with a 68-39 win over Lynnville-Sully in an important pre-holidays match-up for both teams.
Lynnville-Sully entered with a 7-1 record to Montezuma’s 5-1. But the Bravettes are now 5-0 in South Iowa Cedar League play, while the Hawks are at 3-2.
“We had a great team game,” said Montezuma Coach Janel Burgess. “Our flow on offense and our selflessness was just awesome.”
Two Bravettes scored in double figures and four others were close. Elise Boulton dropped in 22 points, Mia Boulton scored 14 and Shanae Wetering scored eight.
Montezuma led 25-9 after one quarter, 44-23 at halftime and 63-33 through three periods.
Madison Johannes scored seven points for the Bravettes, while Kierstyn Price and Dylan Holland dialed up six points each.
Montezuma’s defense helped to turn over the Hawks 25 times. The Bravettes made 16 turnovers. Lynnville-Sully was without two starters because of illness.
Montezuma also had a very strong game on the defensive boards.
Dylan Holland swept the boards for the Bravettes, leading with 15 rebounds. She also had three assists and a pair of steals.
“Our team as a unit played collective defense and were able to understand Lynnville-Sully’s personnel very well,” Burgess said.
Good ball movement gave the Bravettes some wide-open looks at three-pointers. They made eight of them, with four coming from Mia Boulton.
Mia Boulton also had seven steals and Elise Boulton had five as the Bravettes compiled 20 swipes in all.
The teams don’t meet again until Feb. 2. Lynnville-Sully could have a different look by then. If the Bravettes continue their current rate of improvement, they might look different, too.
Regardless, this was a meaningful victory for the Bravettes.
UP NEXT – Montezuma visits Sigourney, another team toward the top of the conference standings, on Friday, Dec. 18.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Montezuma 25 19 19 5 – 68
Lynville-Sully 9 14 10 6 – 39
MONTEZUMA (68)
Shanae Wetering 2-7, 4-6, 1, 8. Kierstyn Price 4-8, 0-0, 4, 8. Mia Boulton 5-7, 0-0, 1, 14. Elise Boulton 9-18, 2-2, 1, 22. Dylan Holland 3-9, 0-0, 0, 6. Madison Johannes 3-6, 0-0, 3, 7. Jadyn Sharer 1-6, 0-0, 2, 3. Alyssa Cline 0-0, 0-0, 1, 0. Abby Cheney 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0. Korrinn Kehoe 0-1, 0-0, 1, 0. TOTALS – 27-62, 6-8, 14, 68.
Line score legend: Field goals made-attempted, free throws made-attempted, personal fouls, total points.
Turnovers: 16.
Three-point goals: 8-24 (M. Boulton 4-6, E. Boulton 2-7, Johannes 1-3, Sharer 1-4, Wetering 0-1, Price 0-2, Holland 0-1).
Rebounds: 36 (Holland 15, Wetering 5, Price 4, Sharer 4, E. Boulton 3, M. Boulton 2, Johannes 2, Kehoe 1).
Assists: 9 (Holland 3, Johannes 3, E. Boulton 2, M. Boulton 1).
Steals: 20 (M. Boulton 7, E. Boulton 5, Holland 2, Wetering 1, Price 1, Johnannes 1, Sharer 1, Alys. Cline 1, Cheney 1).
Blocks: 2 (Price 2).