Mustangs dominate Springville, 60-32
DES MOINES — The Newell-Fonda girls used their frenetic style of basketball to leave Springville in the dust here Wednesday night, advancing to the Class 1A semifinals with a 60-32 victory.
The Mustangs, who have claimed four state titles and six more runner-up trophies, will take on defending champ North Linn — which topped them in the championship round last year, 67-51 — back here inside Wells Fargo Arena on Friday at 3:15 p.m. The Lynx got by Gladbrook-Reinbeck, 33-29.
Bishop Garrigan and top-ranked Council Bluffs St. Albert square off in the other semifinal. The 1A championship game is set for Saturday night at 7 p.m.
Making an eighth consecutive appearance in the elite eight and 16th overall under head coach Dick Jungers, third-ranked Newell-Fonda has finished second each of the past two seasons. Jungers now has an eye-popping 512-81 record on the sidelines, including a 93-12 mark over the past four years.
Ellie Sievers, a freshman, scored a game-high 18 points on 7 of 13 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers. Kinzee Hinders joined her in double figures with 15 while Jocee Walsh had nine points and nine rebounds.
Hinders, the lone starter back for the Mustangs from a year ago, is fully prepared for the rematch with North Linn.
“It will be a good one,” she said. “We’re excited to match up with them again.”
Newell-Fonda forced 36 turnovers on the night, with 27 steals. Hinders had six steals with both Anna Mercer and Walsh recording five each.
Nine different players had at least one steal, and nine scored for the Mustangs.
“We want to make the other team go faster than they want,” Hinders said of the style of play Newell-Fonda puts on the court.
Springville was working to cut into the deficit as the third quarter came to a close when Sievers launched and sank a 3-pointer, putting the lead back up to 12. They started the fourth on a 9-2 run to put the game out of reach.
In the opening half, Newell-Fonda forced 21 turnovers and led by as many as 16 points, opening the contest on a 14-5 run.
Rowan Jacobi, a junior who has committed to the University of South Dakota, had a double-double for Springville, scoring 15 points with 14 rebounds.
Newell-Fonda and Springville ruled 1A from 2016-21, with each claiming three championships during that span. The Mustangs picked up their 33rd win at state on Wednesday, which ranks third all-time behind only Ankeny and West Des Moines Dowling.
NEWELL-FONDA 61, SPRINGVILLE 32
Newell-Fonda – Jaicee Vanderhoff 1-5 0-0 3, Mareni Brabec 1-2 0-0 2, Anna Mercer 0-3 0-0 0, Kinzee Hinders 4-7 7-8 15, Jocee Walsh 4-9 1-2 9, Ellie Sievers 7-13 2-4 18, Rylee Hogrefe 1-4 3-4 6, Ava Vie 1-2 0-0 3, Ella Roberts 0-0 0-0 0, Camryn Puhrmann 0-0 0-0 0, Bailey Mandernach 0-2 0-0 0, Vienna Winger 0-0 0-0 0, Abby Leu 1-1 0-0 2, McKayla Hanson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 20-48 16-21 61.
Springville – Renee Brecht 2-3 0-0 4, Addison Merritt 1-12 6-6 8, Lexi Dietlker 1-4 0-2 2, Abbi Hoyt 0-6 1-2 1, Rowan Jacobi 6-12 3-8 15, Hayden Robertson 0-0 0-0 0, Madison Williams 0-0 0-0 0, Ella Hoge 1-1 0-1 2, Kalleigh Greene 0-0 0-0 0, Reese Tritle 0-0 0-0 0, Abigail Schwiebert 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 11-38 10-17 32.
Quarter scores: Newell-Fonda led 14-5, 25-13, 35-23. Three-point goals: Newell-Fonda 5-18 (Vanderhoff 1-5, Mercer 0-1, Hinders 0-1, Sievers 2-5, Mandernach 0-1, Hogrefe 1-3, Vie 1-2), Springville 0-9 (Merritt 0-5, Dietkler 0-2, Jacobi 0-2). Total rebounds: Newell-Fonda 29, Springville 33. Steals: Newell-Fonda 27, Springville 12. Locked shots: Newell-Fonda 0, Springville 3. Turnovers: Newell-Fonda 21, Springville 36. Team fouls: Newell-Fonda 15, Springville 14.