Scoring barrage follows loss to Cascade

     Monticello followed a tough loss to the top-ranked team in Class 2A, Cascade; with a scoring barrage in a romp over North Cedar in last week’s girls basketball action.

     The Panthers (11-2, 11-4) hung with Cascade for most of the Monday, Jan. 20 game in Monticello, a makeup game from a Jan. 10 postponement.

     Through three quarters, the Cougars led by seven, 31-24. The Panthers even pulled to within two points, 31-29, early in the fourth quarter on a Gabrielle Steiner basket off an assist from Jordan Kuper.

     But Cascade went on a 9-0 run after that, including a pair of three-point shots, and outscored the Panthers 15-4 the rest of the way.

     “They made key shots down the stretch,” Monticello coach Donnie Kremer said. “We got hands in the face, but they still knocked down the shots.”

     The Panthers were led by Karli Recker, who finished with 11 points; and Kuper who had 10 points and nine rebounds. Tori McDonald and Steiner had three assists apiece; Gabrielle Guilford made two steals.

     The Jan. 21 home game against North Cedar was a sharp contrast; the Panthers scored at least 18 points in each of the four quarters and rolled to a 77-39 Senior Night win over North Cedar.

     Four Panthers scored in double figures: Steiner with 14, Carly Hayen with 13, McDonald with 12 and Kuper with 10. Emily Schlarmann had nine assists and pulled down five rebounds. Kuper had six rebounds and four assists.

     Also, the team had 20 steals, led by Steiner with five, Lydia Recker and McDonald with three apiece, and Bronwyn Hodge, Guilford and Kuper with two each.

     “It is not a very easy task playing the next day, knowing you put forth a great effort the night before,” Kremer said.

     The second half was key; the Panthers outscored the Knights 39-15 over the final two quarters.

     “We did not change anything really. We just needed to find more energy and continue to play hard,” the coach said.

West Branch postponement

     The Jan. 24 scheduled home game against West Branch was postponed due to winter conditions, and was scheduled to be made up Jan. 27.

Jan. 20

Cas.      9 11 11 15 – 46

Monti  3 11 10   9  – 33

     CASCADE (46) – Nicole McDermott 3-7 3-4 10, Ally Hoffman 3-5 1-2 10, Skylar Dolphin 5-11 0-0 15, Jordan Simon 1-1 1-1 3, Abby Welter 3-7 0-0 8, Faith Bower 0-0 0-0 0, Alyssa Lux 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 15-33 5-7 46.

     MONTICELLO (33) – Gabrielle Steiner 1-3 2-2 4, Tori McDonald 0-5 3-4 3, Gabrielle Guilford 2-6 1-2 5, Karli Recker 4-10 0-0 11, Jordan Kuper 3-8 4-6 10, Emily Schlarmann 0-0 0-0 0, Carly Hayen 0-0 0-0 0, Lydia Recker 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 10-33 10-14 33.

     Three-pointers: Dolphin 5, Hoffman 3, Welter 2, McDermott; K. Recker 3.

     Rebounds: Cascade 22, Monticello 17 (Kuper 9, Steiner 4).

     Total fouls: Cascade 9, Monticello 8.

Jan. 21

NC        12 12   8    7 – 39

Monti 20 18 20 19 – 77

     NORTH CEDAR (39) – Fiona Raney 2-6 0-0 6, Aubrie Pruess 1-3 0-0 2, Jenna Syring 9-13 0-0 18, Kassidie Galloway 4-7 0-0 10, Kayla Syring 0-2 0-0 0, Kiley Chapman 1-1 0-0 3, Sarah Hansen 0-0 0-0 0, Kendall Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Caitlin Jensen 0-0 0-0 0, Mayson Lehrman 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-32 0-0 39.

     MONTICELLO (77) – Gabrielle Steiner 7-12 0-0 14, Karli Recker 3-6 0-0 9, Emily Schlarmann 2-4 0-0 4, Carly Hayen 5-6 3-6 13, Jordan Kuper 5-11 0-0 10, Tori McDonald 4-4 3-6 12, Gabrielle Guilford 2-2 2-4 6, Katie Roher 1-1 0-2 3, Lydia Recker 1-2 0-0 2, Bronwyn Hodge 1-5 0-0 2, Jaelyn Aitchison 0-0 2-4 2, Brea Stahlberg 0-0 0-0 0, Madison Butterworth 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 31-54 10-22 77.

     Three-pointers: Raney 2, Galloway 2, Chapman; K. Recker 3, McDonald, Roher.

     Rebounds: Monticello 24 (Kuper 6, Schlarmann 5), North Cedar 16.

     Total fouls: North Cedar 12, Monticello 5.