Wildcats win two of three TRC games

Boys basketball

     Maquoketa Valley won two out of three games last week to achieve the .500 mark in overall boys basketball play.

     The Wildcats (3-1, 3-3) lost a tough 65-60 decision in overtime to Bellevue Marquette Dec. 9 in Delhi. Marquette came back from a 10-point deficit in the fourth quarter to tie the game, and then outcored the Wildcats 12-7 in the extra session. The loss took away from Brock Hillers’ 24-point performance for MV. Teammates Jake Bonert and Kyle Wilson also scored in double figures, with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Wilson’s 10 rebounds gave him a double-double. Tyson Tucker had six points and 12 rebounds.

     MV bounced back for a road victory against Lisbon Dec. 13, winning 61-47. Again three Wildcats scored in double digits: Tucker with 15 (and 10 rebounds), Trevor Elgin with 13 (14 rebounds) and Bonert with 12. Garrett Hogan, Hillers and Bonert had three assists apiece.

     On Dec. 16, the Wildcats won again, beating East Buchanan 47-38 in Delhi. Hogan scored 11 points to lead a balanced attack, Bonert and Elgin had eight points, Hillers and Tucker added seven, and Wilson had six. Bonert and Wilson had nine rebounds apiece, while Hogan had eight. Hogan also had six steals.

Girls basketball

     Three Tri-Rivers Conference games resulted in two wins for the Maquoketa Valley girls basketball team last week.

     The Wildcats (3-1, 5-2) were outscored 20-8 in the fourth quarter of a 67-50 home loss to Bellevue Marquette Dec. 9.

     “This wasn’t a good game on our part,” Maquoketa Valley coach Scot Moenck said. “We got outplayed, and outcoached, in every aspect of the game. We are for sure better than that. We have to move on from it.”

     The loss negated the performance of Brianna Mensen, who had 24 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Sam Wall had 16 points. Abby Holtz made four assists.

     MV recovered quickly, however, dispatching Lisbon 70-27 in a Dec. 13 game at Lisbon. Mensen had another double-double, with 23 points and 10 steals. Wall scored 16 points, Payton Ries had 11, and Gracie Gellersen added nine. Lydia Helle had four points and two blocks.

     “We got off to a really good start shooting the ball. We came out and hit our first five shots,” Moenck said. “And when we want to, we can really defend.”

     On Dec. 16, the Wildcats played host to East Buchanan and rolled to a 43-24 win, outscoring the Buccaneers 22-9 in the second half.

     Mensen scored 16 points, to go along with nine rebounds and seven of the team’s 24 steals. Wall had 10 points and four steals. Ries had eight points and five steals.

     “East Buchanan is a much improved team from a year ago,” the coach said. “But we have to do a better job of taking care of the ball.”

Wrestling

     Maquoketa Valley had two champions emerge from the North Linn Tournament Saturday, Dec. 17 in Troy Mills, as the Wildcats finished sixth out of 13 teams.

     Alec McDowell won the 182-pound championship, winning a major decision over Joey Schwenn of Belle Plaine, 10-2, in the final.

     At 220 pounds, Eric Heims pinned Jason Tew of Mid-Prairie in 4:26 to win the title.

     Mitch Smith finished third at 160 pounds, and Zach Cornell was fifth at 145.

     “To place sixth as a team in such a tough tournament with only seven guys competing shows you what this team is capable of,” Maquoketa Valley coach Tim Andrews said.

     The Wildcats had two other meets last week, wrestling a total of five duals, and winning them all to up their dual meet record to 15-2 heading into the holiday break.

     At Edgewood-Colesburg Dec. 13, MV defeated Ed-Co 54-21, Clayton Ridge 64-12 and Postville 47-27.

     The ‘Cats then hosted a double dual Dec. 15, beating Alburnett 48-28 and Ed-Co 56-24.

     “We have had a very successful first half of the season,” Andrews said. “We now sit on top of the (Tri-Rivers) Conference tied with Lisbon. I look forward to getting everyone healthy over break and having the guys improve in practice before we take the mat again on Jan. 3.”