PELLA – The Montezuma Bravettes hit Pella Christian with three-point baskets, rebounds on both ends of the floor, and a swarming zone defense.
The Eagles finally sorted things out enough to make a run, but it came too late for them to close in on a victory.
The Bravettes, leading by 19 points at halftime and by 20 after three quarters, scored a 60-50 win over one of just two teams that beat them last season.
The pre-Thanksgiving game was played Tuesday evening, Nov. 23.
An electric second quarter opened up the game for Montezuma. The Bravettes led 19-15 after one period, but outscored the Eagles 22-7 in the second.
Mia Boulton finished with 21 points for Montezuma – all on seven three-point baskets. Six of those came during the first half.
Pella Christian extended its zone after halftime and had some success getting the ball tied up on the wings of the Montezuma offense.
The Bravettes made 13 turnovers in this game, a majority of them coming during the second half. Still, Pella Christian didn’t get its deficit down to 10 points until the game’s final minute.
Montezuma had a 24-9 lead in rebounds, with a majority of these coming on the offensive end, keeping alive possessions.
Senior forward Shanae Wetering scored 12 points for Montezuma, and got herself to the line, the only Bravette to do so. She was four-for-seven on free throws.
Freshman guard Ellen Cook knocked down a trio of treys and was the third Montezuma player into double figures with 11 points.
The Bravettes bombed in a dozen three-pointers in all. Madison Johannes had the other two.
Joslyn Terpstra scored 28 points for Pella Christian. She was seven-for-nine from the field, and knocked down 10 of her 13 free throws in the second half. The Eagles outscored Montezuma 18-4 from the free throw line.
Last season, Pella Christian beat Montezuma 63-53 in the season’s first game. After that, the Bravettes ran the table until losing to Newell-Fonda in a Class 1A state semifinals game.
JV TEAM WINS – The Montezuma JV team pulled away in the fourth quarter and scored a 38-31 win over Pella Christian.
UP NEXT – The Bravettes host Iowa Valley in a girls/boys JV doubleheader on Monday, Nov. 29.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Montezuma 19 22 11 8 – 60
Pella Christian 15 7 10 18 – 50
MONTEZUMA (60) – Madison Johannes 2-5, 0-0, 4, 6. Shanae Wetering 4-11, 4-7, 1, 12. Mia Boulton 7-12, 0-0, 2, 21. Jadyn Sharer 1-5, 0-0, 2, 2. Korrinn Kehoe 3-3, 0-0, 3, 6. Jordan Ranfeld 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0. Ellen Cook 4-10, 0-0, 4, 11. Izzy Roorda 0-0, 0-0, 0, 0. Kallie Robison 1-2, 0-0, 1, 2. TOTALS – 22-48, 4-7, 17, 60.
PELLA CHRISTIAN (50) – 14-33, 18-23, 10, 50.
Line score legend: Field goals made-attempted, free throws made-attempted, personal fouls, total points.
Rebounds: Montezuma 24 (Johannes 5, Wetering 5, Boulton 3, Sharer 3, Cook 3, Robison 3, Ranfeld 2); Pella Christian 9.
Three-point goals: Montezuma 12-28 (Boulton 7-12, Cook 3-8, Johannes 2-4, Sharer 0-1, Westering 0-3); Pella Christian 4-16.
Turnovers: Montezuma 13, Pella Christian 16.
Assists: Montezuma 12 (Johannes 5, Wetering 3, Boulton 3, Sharer 1); Pella Christian 7.
Steals: Montezuma 10, Pella Christian 11.
Blocks: none.
Pella Christian leading scorer: Joslyn Terpstra 28. Rebounder: Emri Agre 3.