Iowa Girls State Basketball: Defending Champ Mount Vernon Back In 3A

Defending Class 3A state champion Mount Vernon survived a second half rally by Dubuque Wahlert Catholic to advance to the title game, 53-49.

The Mustangs picked up win No. 22 in a row in the process, and can finish a repeat atop 3A when they square off with Maquoketa on Friday night inside Casey’s Center from Des Moines, Iowa for the crown.

Savanna Wright had a game-high 24 points, including all 13 of Mount Vernon’s first quarter buckets. She added a pair of late 3-pointers to help them hold the Golden Eagles off, recording four rebounds, two steals and a block.

Taylor Franck had a double-double, scoring 15 points with 10 rebounds, and nearly had a triple-double, adding seven assists. Quinn Pershing added nine points, as the Mustangs committed just eight turnovers.

For Dubuque Wahlert Catholic, freshman Emily Tanny had 18 points, Celia Scherr added 11 with 10 rebounds and Claire King tallied eight. Ruth Tauber had seven points and seven rebounds.

Maquoketa Rallies To Title Round With Big Fourth

Aubrey Kroymann, Cora Widel and Hadley Ihrig each scored five points to spearhead a 21-point fourth and lift Maquoketa past Des Moines Christian, 61-54.

The Lions shot just 1 of 9 from the field and missed seven of eight attempts from the 3-point line.

Widel finished with 18 points, including a 13-for-17 effort at the free throw stripe, as Maelyn Kluever help the Cardinals in it with 12 points. Ihrig finished with nine and 10 rebounds, as Kroymann scored eight with five rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks.

Des Moines Christian’s Reese DeVooght had 17 points and Addy Oetker scored 13 with 11 rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks.

The two teams spent much of the game at the charity stripe, attempting a combined 59 shots. Maquoketa finished plus-10 in makes from the line. They also were plus-seven on points off turnovers and plus-six on the glass.

Maquoketa will meet defending champion Mount Vernon for the title on Friday night at 8 p.m.

All of the games can be live streamed on WatchIGHSAU.com.