Iowa Girls Basketball State Tournament: Johnston Dominates

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union State Basketball Tournament kicked off Monday in Des Moines, Iowa from the Casey’s Center with Class 5A action.

In the opening contest of the day, two-time defending 5A state champion Johnston rolled, eliminating Ankeny Centennial, 54-30.

For the Dragons, it marked their 77th straight win - the third-longest streak in Iowa girls high school basketball history. Johnston is an incredible 169-6 since the 2019-20 season, capturing four state championships and two runner-up finishes during that time.

Jenica Lewis, a Notre Dame commit, scored 13 points with seven rebounds, three assists and three steals to lead the way. Kelli Kalb had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds while Adaya Phillips joined them both in double figures with 10.

Ankeny Centennial shot just 21 percent from the field, as Lizzie Beam scored 12 with Faith Perpich adding nine.

Ankeny Gets A Crack At 5A Queen Johnston

Thanks to a 57-44 victory over Cedar Rapids Washington, Ankeny will get its shot at dethroning Johnston in the semifinals. The Hawks drained a dozen 3-pointers on the day in making their return to state for the first time since 2013.

During the regular season, Johnston posted two victories over Ankeny, who owns a state-record nine championships all-time.

Jayla Williams had a game-high 18 points, adding 14 rebounds, five steals, four assists and two blocks. Kyla Schaapveld and Regan Baldwin each scored 15, as they combined for 10 of the 12 made triples.

Cedar Rapids Washington, a 1-win program three years ago, was also at state for the first time since 2013. Samantha Becker had 13 points, Lily Belle Becker added 11 and Sira Doumbia had seven with seven rebounds and three assists.

Dowling Knocks Off Rival Valley, 55-48

Adrienne Sears scored 24 points, Ellie Muller had a double-double and Dowling Catholic topped long-time rival Valley in the 5A quarterfinals, 55-48.

Sears was 8 of 9 shooting from the field and 7-for-10 at the free throw line, as Muller, a Missouri commit, scored 16 points with 15 rebounds, six blocked shots and three assists.

Madison Rice added 10 points, helping the Maroons overcome nine made 3-pointers by the Tigers. Dowling Catholic did hold a plus-14 edge in total rebounds and dominated in the paint, 34-12.

Tylee Weite had 13 points and Baileigh Uthoff added 12 for Valley. Write also had five rebounds.

Waukee Northwest Makes It CIML Sweep

Once again, the 5A state champion will come from the CIML, as Waukee Northwest eliminated Iowa City West, 80-49.

The Wolves join Johnston, Ankeny and Dowling Catholic in the semifinals this Thursday.

Waukee Northwest and Dowling Catholic, who meet in the final four, split two regular season encounters. Sadie McCann was a precise 8 of 11 shooting for 18 points to lead the Wolves, as Romey Croatt added 12 points, five rebounds, four steals and three assists.

Grace Fincham, a Drake Bulldog recruit, led the Trojans with 13 points, adding eight rebound and four assists. Sasha Baldwin chipped in nine points.

Defending 3A Champ Mount Vernon Moving On

Behind 11 made 3-pointers, reigning 3A champion Mount Vernon posted a 55-44 victory over Cherokee.

Quinn Pershing drained six of those triples, finishing with 21 points. Savanna Wright added 14 points, four rebounds and three steals, making three 3-pointers.

Taylor Franck, who will play for Northern Iowa in the fall, recorded eight assists while sister Courtney Franck chipped in 11 rebounds and five points.

Kadyn Volkert had a team-hgh 13 to lead Cherokee, as Addy Wolfswinkel scored 12.

Fast Start Leads Dubuque Wahlert Catholic Past Williamsburg

After taking a 14-6 lead early, Dubuque Wahlert Catholic was able to hold Williamsburg at bay, claiming a 56-47 decision.

Freshman Emily Tanny had a monster game, scoring 30 points with nine rebounds and three steals. She was 12-for-13 from the free throw line and made a pair of 3-pointers. Ruth Tauber scored nine and Celia Scherr had eight with eight rebounds.

For Williamsburg, Zoe Allen had 18 points and 11 rebounds, with Kennedy Skaggs scoring 10 with seven boards.

Maquoketa Deals Mediapolis First Loss

Last year, Maquoketa made its state debut, falling in the quarterfinals. This time, they advanced to the semis by handing Mediapolis its first loss of the year, 57-23.

The Cardinals did not lose to a 3A team this year, dropping three games to 5A programs and a fourth to a 4A school. Aubrey Kroymann scored 19 points with seven rebounds and three steals for Maquoketa, as Cora Widel added 11 points.

Amelia Grier paced Mediapolis with seven.

Up Next

The final 3A quarterfinal between Des Moines Christian and Forest City will start Tuesday at the state tournament. From there, the four 4A quarterfinals will hit the court followed by a pair of games in the 2A tournament.