Marion’s girls’ state basketball win was ‘amazing’

DES MOINES - Ten seconds left on the clock, the score is 46-38.

Nine, it seems too could to be true.

Eight, seven, six. The athletes' legs propel them to the other side of the gym.

Five, four three. People are on their feet.

Two, there's a buzz in the room and students are starting to chill.

One, Marion takes down two-time defending champ Harlan.

Sophie Willette, freshman at Marion and a starter at Wednesday's game, is buzzing after the win.

'It's feels amazing,” she said. 'I feel really accomplished, but honestly we looked at this just like a regular game.”

Despite the rankings going into the game (Marion seventh in 4A and Harlan third), the girls went in with an normal mind-set.

'Honestly, we looked at this just like a regular game,” Willette said. 'We were moving the ball right and moving together and it worked. In the end Chloe's free throws were great for us.”

But no one member of the team was responsible for this accomplishment. It was the group as a whole, along with some impeccable coaching that led Marion's team to this.

'We went in with a great energy,” said Chloe Rice, another sophomore starter for the Indians. 'I don't think any of us were nervous, just excited. We knew what we could do, we knew what we were capable of.”

As for Coach Corby Laube, he has a few different ideas as to why the girls succeeded Wednesday.

'I think the team had a ‘why not' mentality,” he said. 'Why not us? After North Scott, which was a really tough game, after beating them on the road and (we) made it to state, (it) set in that we could do this. The skies the limit for them.”

Although the excitement is high right now, the girls have to begin preparation for their semifinal game against Pella on Friday.

'I'm going to start getting my mind set right after everyone finishes with interviews,” Willett said. 'We need to start preparing for the final because we are good enough to get there.”

The rest of the team seems to agree that a 'go get-'em'” mind-set is their best bet, including their coach.

'We're going to enjoy this win for a few hours, head home, and come back Thursday night,” Laube said. 'Us coaches have a lot of scout work to do. We have to develop info on Pella in a very short turn around, but it'll be fine. We can sleep next week.”

Still high off the win, the girls will have to fall into line quickly if they hope to continue on to the finals. Pella beat Lewis Central Wednesday, 47-41. How that bodes for Fridays game? Everyone will have to wait and see.