Wildcats win twice to extend streak

Boys basketball

   Maquoketa Valley extended its boys basketball winning streak to three games with a pair of Tri-Rivers Conference wins last week.

   The Wildcats (4-1, 5-2) opened their week with a 77-48 romp at Springville Dec. 13, as Avery Holtz scored 20 points and Lance McShane added 18. A key to the win was a 24-4 second quarter, giving MV a 39-19 halftime advantage. Kody Hoeger and Brady Wall each added 11 points, and Treyton Cook had nine. Rebounding leaders were McShane with nine, Toby Grimm with eight and Hoeger with six. Cook had seven steals and six assists; Holtz also had six assists.

   MV scored another lopsided win Dec. 16 against Edgewood-Colesburg in Delhi, winning 81-32 as Holtz scored 29 points. McShane added 15 points and nine rebounds. Cook had nine points and five assists. Wall also scored nine points. The Wildcats led 48-19 at halftime.

Wrestling

   Two meets occupied the Maquoketa Valley wrestling team last week.

   Maquoketa Valley took part in a triangular meet Dec. 15 at North Linn in Troy Mills. The Wildcats lost 36-24 to Starmont, and fell to North Linn 42-36.

   Brady Davis won both of his matches by fall for the Wildcats, at 220 pounds. Scoring one fall each were Tyreese Crippin, Nathan Beitz and Aiden Salow.

   On Dec. 17, the Wildcats sent seven wrestlers to the North Linn Invitational, and placed 11^th with 61 points.

   Two of those reached the finals. Beitz won the 195 pound title with three straight pins, two of those in the first period. Salow finished second at 285.

Girls basketball

   Maquoketa Valley split four games in recent girls basketball action.

   At Alburnett Dec. 6, Maquoketa Valley (3-2, 5-3) lost 56-33, as the Pirates outscored the Wildcats 23-9 in the fourth quarter. Leading the MV attack was Haley Ronnebaum, who had 11 points and five rebounds. JadaKnipper had six points and four rebounds. Kennedy Rausch made two steals.

   On Dec. 8, the Wildcats played a non-conference game at Anamosa, and won 59-30, thanks largely to a 37-16 first half advantage. Haley Ronnebaum just missed a double-double with 17 points and nine rebounds, including three baskets from three-point range. She also had five assists. Grace Richter came off the bench to score 16 points and grab six rebounds. Bianka Ronnebaum had 10 points, six assists and four steals. Rausch contributed nine points, and Knipper scored six.

   Maquoketa Valley played its first home game in five contests, against Starmont Dec. 9, and got off to an even better start, leading 52-9 at halftime on the way to a 79-24 win. Four Wildcats scored in double figures: Richter with 15, Rausch with 13, Bianka Ronnebaum with 11 and Haley Ronnebaum with 10. Richter also had eight rebounds and three steals. Ella Mensen had six rebounds and five assists. Leah Reicher and Mensen scored five points apiece; Taryn Burbridge, Lanni Beaman and Madison Thomspon had three points each.

   On Dec. 13, the ‘Cats played at Springville, and lost 49-44.  Statistics were unavailable at press time.