Big win overwhelms Osage, sends Panthers to State

GIRLS BASKETBALL -- STATE TOURNAMENT SPECIAL
By: 
Pete Temple
Express Sports Editor

     A 28-0 second half run broke open a close game and sent the Monticello High School girls basketball team to a 59-33 victory over previously unbeaten Osage in the Class 3A, Region 3 championship game Saturday, Feb. 17 in Independence.

     The victory – largely due to that historic run and a Panther team that held together through a tough first half – sent Monticello to the State Girls Basketball Tournament for the fourth time in school history, and the first time since 2011.

     The Panthers (19-5) were assigned the sixth seed for the state tournament, and will play the third-seeded Clear Lake Lions (22-2) in a state quarterfinal game Tuesday, Feb. 27, 3:15 p.m. at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

     “It’s a great feeling,” senior Taylor McDonald said. “I’ve been waiting for this my whole life.”

     “It’s surreal,” agreed senior Lauren Ries. “The best feeling ever.”

     Monticello survived a hot-shooting Osage team in the first half. After jumping to an 8-0 lead, the Panthers saw it quickly disappear on a 15-0 run by Osage that included three baskets from beyond the arc.

     The Green Devils held that lead until midway through the second quarter, when Jordan Kuper scored on a layup off a pass from Taylor McDonald, putting the Panthers ahead 17-16 with 3:35 left in the half.

     Monticello led 21-19 in the closing seconds, but a bomb of a three-pointer by Gabrielle Schwarting of Osage with two seconds left gave the Green Devils a 22-21 halftime lead.

     “The girls were upbeat in the locker room,” Monticello coach Donnie Kremer said. “I said, ‘When has there not been a team that has come out and hit lights out to start the game against us? But what have we done in the second half? We’ve responded.’ ”

     Did they ever.

     It didn’t happen right away, however. Two minutes into the third quarter, Osage still led 25-23.

     But the Panthers scored the final 20 points of the third quarter, and the first eight of the fourth quarter, to take a 51-25 lead (see related story in this section).

     “I said we just need to do what we do: run the floor, push the ball, and execute,” Kremer said. “We passed it around really well, I thought, and we rebounded well in the second half.”

     Four Panthers scored in double figures, led by Taylor McDonald, who was 7-for-13 from the field and 4-for-5 from the free throw line for 18 points. Maddie Fellinger had 16 points, Kuper had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds; and Ries had 10 points.

     Ries also had six rebounds, four assists and four steals. Taylor McDonald had six rebounds and three assists.

     It added up to the Panthers’ fourth state tournament trip in 12 years.

     “I’m so happy for them,” Kremer said. “It’s been a long time coming.

     “It was definitely one for the ages.”

Regional semifinal

Monticello 62,

Vinton-Shellsburg 27

     To get to the Osage game, Monticello didn’t have to struggle through a close first half in the regional semifinals, pulling away to a 62-47 victory Feb. 14 in Monticello.

     Monticello gradually pulled away, outscored the Vikings in each quarter. The Panthers led 13-3 after one, 29-13 after halftime, and 48-23 after three periods.

     Ries led Monticello with 18 points, and pulled down eight rebounds. Taylor McDonald and Fellinger had 11 points each; McDonald had five rebounds, six steals and three assists. Jordan Kuper scored 10 points and had seven rebounds and five assists. Carly Hayen came off the bench to grab nine rebounds. Gabrielle Steiner had five points and two steals.

 

Feb. 14

Class 3A, Region 3

Semifinal

(at Monticello)

Vn.-Shls.   3  10 10   4 – 27

Monti       13 16 19 14 – 62

     VINTON-SHELLSBURG (27) – Elly Gloede 1-5 0-0 2, Lucy Howes-Vonstein 5-17 2-2 14, Taryn Sutton 0-6 3-5 3, Josie Sagan 2-6 0-0 4, Aza Swayzer 0-3 0-0 0, Denise Perez 1-4 0-1 2, Davia Herger 1-2 0-0 2, Olivia Erhardt 0-0 0-0 0, Kayla Griffith 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 10-45 5-8 27.

     MONTICELLO (62) – Taylor McDonald 3-16 5-6 11, Maddie Fellinger 4-6 0-0 11, Lauren Ries 7-20 0-0 18, Maddie Lambert 2-4 0-2 4, Jordan Kuper 4-8 2-3 10, Carly Hayen 1-3 1-2 3, Caitlyn Cruise 0-1 0-0 0, Gabrielle Steiner 2-2 0-0 5, Sydney Hansen 0-1 0-0 0, Savanah Kremer 0-0 0-0 0, Meredith Melchert 0-1 0-0 0, Aspen Gillmore 0-0 0-0 0, Emmi Sampson 0-0 0-0 0, Marissa Recker 0-1 0-0 0, Tori McDonald 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-63 8-13 62.

     Three-pointers: Ries 4, Fellinger 3, Steiner.

     Rebounds: Monticello 49 (Hayen 9, Ries 8, Kuper 7, M. Lambert 6).

     Total fouls: Monticello 13.

 

Feb. 17

Class 3A, Region 3

Championship

(at Independence)

Monti        8  13  22  16 – 59

Osage     15   7    3    8  – 33

     MONTICELLLO (59) – Taylor McDonald 7-13 4-5 18, Maddie Fellinger 5-9 4-5 16, Lauren Ries 4-8 1-4 10, Maddie Lambert 0-0 1-2 1, Jordan Kuper 6-13 2-5 14, Carly Hayen 0-3 0-0 0, Gabrielle Steiner 0-1 0-0 0, Sydney Hansen 0-0 0-0 0, Caitlyn Cruise 0-0 0-0 0, Meredith Melchert 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-47 12-21 59.

     OSAGE (33) – Mia Knudsen 2-6 0-0 6, Rylie Olson 1-5 2-7 4, Brenna Jacobs 3-12 1-2 7, Gabby Schwarting 2-11 1-2 7, Madi Johnson 1-5 0-0 2, Melanie Bye 2-4 0-0 5, Dani Johnson 1-3 0-0 2, Sydney Midland 0-1 0-0 0, Sidney Brandau 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 12-49 4-11 33.

     Three-pointers: Fellinger 2, Ries; Knudsen 2, Schwarting 2, Bye.

     Rebounds: Monticello 36 (Kuper 11, Fellinger 7, McDonald 6, Ries 6), Osage 25.

      

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