On to State

(Above) Clear Lake’s Emily Theiss makes this Okoboji ball-handler work hard to move the ball.  -Reporter photo by Chris Barragy

by Marianne Gasaway

The Clear Lake girls are on their way their way to State!

The second ranked Lions (3A) used a complete team effort to pull away from ninth rated Okoboji for a 65-47 victory Saturday in Algona.  The game was a physical and mental test for the Lions, who earned a trip to play at State Monday night, March 2. They will take on Davenport Assumption (16-7) in an 8:30 p.m. game.

“I am so proud of these girls on this win tonight.  I was impressed with how we defended their All-State guards, who both have scored over 1,000 points — not the girls who were guarding them, but how our whole team executed the defensive game plan,” said Head Coach Bart Smith.

Both teams started the game with some jitters and the scoring was minimal in the opening frame. Three-pointers by Ali Maulsby and Darby Dodd, along with a basket from Julia Merfeld and free throw by Chelsey Holck, had the score tied at 9-9 after one period of play.

Two quick baskets to open the second quarter — a field goal by Holck and three-pointer from Merfeld, lifted the Lions to a 14-9 lead, but the Pioneers were able to stay close thanks to several trips to the foul line.  Both teams were in the double bonus early in the second period.  Okoboji scored 10 of their 12 second quarter points from the charity stripe.

Clear Lake held a slim 25-21 lead at halftime.

The strength of Clear Lake’s bench was evident in the third quarter and ultimately it was the difference in the game.

A shooting drought to start the third quarter cost the Lions the lead until midway through the period.  Emily Theiss came off the bench and caught the Pioneers by surprise.  She drove the lane for an uncontested basket and gave her team a 34-32 lead.  Holck did the same to make the score 36-32.

But just when it seemed like the Lions were hitting their stride, Darby Dodd fouled out.  She went to the bench, where fellow starters Sara Faber and Merfeld were already sitting out with four fouls.  The setback did not deter Maulsby and Holck, who each scored to give the Lions a 43-36 edge heading into the final frame.

Vanderploeg picked up her fourth foul minutes into the fourth quarter, but again the Lion reserves didn’t let down.  Ainley, Theiss and Holck joined Vanderploeg and Faber for a scoring onslaught that had the Lions outscoring the Pioneers 22-11 in the fourth quarter.

“I was impressed with how we kept our composure in the fourth quarter.  Other girls stepped up and everyone is just trusting each other.  We’ve got a confident team ready to make a run in Des Moines,” said Coach Smith.

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CL GIRLS

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Holck finished as the Lions’ top scorer with 15-points.  Faber contributed 12 and Maulsby had 10-points.  Dodd added eight-points, Theiss had six, and Merfeld and Vanderploeg each put in five-points.  Zoe Fasbender had four-points.

Okoboji was led by their senior duo Kallyn Stumbo and Magan Christopherson with 16 and 15 points respectively.

“Our goal was to keep them under 20 attempts as a duo,” explained Smith after the game.  “Those two guards do everything for them and our game plan going in was to keep the ball away from them.  I think they got tired and frustrated.  Everybody did a great job helping out.  It as an all-out group effort.”

Okoboji finished the season with a record of 22-2.

CL 61, Forest City 39

The Lions worked as a pack and topped Forest City in the second round of Regional play Wednesday, Feb. 19.  Clear Lake won, 61-39.

“This was a great team win.  Our depth continues to be the strength of our team.  We had multiple contributors in this win and it just wasn’t in the scoring column,” said Coach Bart Smith. “I thought Ali Maulsby had one of her best games tonight.  Kaitlyn Vanderploeg was a force inside for us on the defensive end and offensive end. Emily Theiss came off the bench and impacted the game on the defensive end.  This time of year is all about who can play better defense and I believe we have a lot of girls that can impact the game that way.”

The Lions were a steady force throughout the contest.  They moved out to a 12-5 lead in the first eight-minutes and were up 30-16 at halftime.

Playing on their home court, the Lions kept the pressure on in all aspects of the game and were in complete control, entering the fourth quarter with a 53-30 lead.

Four Lions finished in double figures.  Darby Dodd topped the list with 12-points, followed by Ali Maulsby with 11 and Sara Faber and Kaitlyn Vanderploeg each with 10-points.  

The remainder of the scoring was provided by Emily Theiss with five-points, Chelsey Holck with four, and Lexi Fasbender and Jaden Ainley each with three.

Vanderploeg ruled the boards with six rebounds.

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