Lower the rims? Iowa girls join the debate

CEDAR RAPIDS — Megan Maahs didn't know many of her teammates or opponents at the Larry Niemeyer/IGCA Senior All-Star Basketball Games.

'I was familiar with them. I'd heard of them,' she said. 'But, no, I didn't know many of them personally.'

Saturday, she proved she belonged with them.

The post from Western Dubuque registered 15 points and 10 rebounds and earned MVP honors for her team as the 3A-4A-5A Select White team downed the Select Gray, 97-68, in the spotlight contest at Kirkwood Community College's Johnson Hall.

'There are a lot of great players from this state,' said Maahs, who will play for the University of Northern Iowa next year. 'I think I held my own, but I have a lot of work to do. I need to work on my outside shot and I need to get stronger.'

Maahs was one of five players from her team to reach double figures. Amanda Ollinger of Linn-Mar and Courtney Joens of Iowa City High tallied 14 apiece.

Ollinger played opposite future Iowa Hawkeye teammate Makenzie Meyer of Mason City.

Meyer, selected Miss Iowa Basketball 2016 four weeks ago, led the Gray team with 18 points and seven rebounds and was the MVP for that squad.

'It was fun,' said Meyer, who shared a loving shove with Ollinger as they jogged to their respective benches before the game. 'Amanda and I played on the same team at another all-star game last week (at Grimes), so this was a little different.'

Among Ollinger's baskets was a breakaway layup. As she was driving, one of her teammates on the bench encouraged her to try to dunk it, which brings forth another topic.

The past week has brought significant debate at the national level about lowering the rims in the WNBA and/or women's college basketball. Some believe more above-the-rim action would help the women's game grow.

Ollinger has mixed feelings.

'I can touch the rim at 10 feet, so I'd be able to dunk if it was a little lower,' she said. 'In a way, it would be pretty cool once you got used to it, but everybody would struggle to adjust for a while.'

Meyer said she 'wouldn't be a big fan' of the change.

'It would take a lot of time to adjust,' she said. 'The women's game is still evolving. Players are getting taller and more athletic.'

Maahs said, 'It's interesting to talk about, but I think it would be hard to adjust.'

In Saturday's first game, Benton Community's Alyssa Wiebel scored 18 points and Solon's Hannah Bluder tallied 15 in the 3A Gray's 98-68 win over 3A White.

Gabby Reyerson of West Marshall (16 points, seven rebounds) was the Gray MVP; East Sac County's Lexi Willson (14 points, eight rebounds) was honored for the White squad.

Jenna Taylor of Creston tallied 16 points in Saturday's nightcap as 4A-5A White pulled away late to beat 4A-5A Gray, 76-60. Olivia Schmidt of North Scott (13 points) was the winning team's MVP; Molly Jacobson of Adel ADM (14 points) was named for the Gray unit.

Class 1A and Class 2A players will be showcased here Sunday, with action starting at noon.

LARRY NIEMEYER/IGCA SENIOR ALL-STAR BASKETBALL GAMES

At Kirkwood Community College (Johnson Hall)

3A GRAY 98, 3A WHITE 68

3A GRAY (98): Maddie Disney 4-8 1-2 9, Julie Hollensbe 1-5 0-2 2, Hannah Bluder 6-7 2-4 15, Sarri Happel 5-11 0-1 12, Alyssa Wiebel 6-14 2-5 18, Jacque Murray 3-8 1-2 8, Britany Mathison 4-9 0-0 9, Abby Nissen 1-8 0-0 3, Rachel Zimmermann 3-7 0-0 6, Gabby Reyerson 7-10 0-0 16. Totals 40-87 6-15 98.

3A WHITE (68): Lynsey Dolphin 2-6 0-0 5, Alex Rath 1-6 3-7 5, Breana Schuiteman 2-11 0-0 5, Lexi Willson 6-9 2-2 14, Talyn Larsen 5-10 0-0 11, Erin Olsen 1-7 0-0 3, Madie Bacon 2-7 2-4 6, Cassie Chubb 4-14 0-1 8, Carly Seely 2-5 0-0 5, Taylor Lawson 3-8 0-2 6. Totals 28-83 7-16 68.

Halftime: Gray 51, White 35. 3-point goals: Gray 12-30 (Disney 0-2, Bluder 1-1, Happel 2-5, Wiebel 4-10, Murray 1-2, Mathison 1-2, Nissen 1-5, Reyerson 2-3), White 5-24 (Dolphin 1-3, Rath 0-2, Schuiteman 1-6, Larsen 1-3, Olsen 1-5, Chubb 0-3, Seely 1-2). Team fouls: Gray 11, White 11. Rebounds: Gray 60 (Mathison 9), White 52 (Seely 9). Assists: Gray 14 (Mathison 5), White 14 (Dolphin, Rath 3). Steals: Gray 11 (Wiebel 3), White 4 (Bacon 2). Turnovers: Gray 9, White 15.

3A/4A/5A SELECT WHITE 97, 3A/4A/5A SELECT GRAY 68

3A/4A/5A SELECT GRAY (68): Makenzie Meyer 7-13 1-1 18, Reilly Jacobson 5-12 2-4 12, Jordan Prantner 2-11 0-0 6, Rachel Knutson-Kobold 0-7 2-2 2, Andie Mataloni 5-8 1-2 16, Olivia Usher 1-6 3-4 5, Arika Wooldridge 2-3 0-0 5, Tasha Vipond 0-9 0-0 0, Jordyn Moser 1-12 2-3 4. Totals 23-81 11-16 68.

3A/4A/5A SELECT WHITE (97): Kaely Hummel 6-12 0-0 14, Casey Stuart 0-2 1-2 1, Gabie Doud 6-10 0-0 13, Courtney Joens 6-14 1-3 14, Becca Hittner 3-8 1-2 8, Kati Cassabaum 1-3 2-2 4, Charlotte Flynn 4-8 0-0 8, Rachel Hinders 3-6 0-0 6, Amanda Ollinger 6-12 2-2 14, Megan Maahs 5-13 5-6 15. Totals 40-88 12-17 97.

Halftime: White 42, Gray 33. 3-point goals: Gray 11-38 (Meyer 3-8, Jacobson 0-1, Prantner 2-8, Knutson-Kobold 0-3, Mataloni 5-6, Usher 0-1, Wooldridge 1-1, Vipond 0-4, Moser 0-6), White 5-24 (Hummel 2-3, Stuart 0-1, Doud 1-3, Joens 1-6, Hittner 1-2, Flynn 0-3, Hinders 0-1, Ollinger 0-2, Maahs 0-3). Team fouls: Gray 10, White 15. Rebounds: Gray 44 (Meyer 7), White 69 (Cassabaum 11). Assists: Gray 11 (Meyer 3), White 9 (Doud 3). Steals: Gray 6 (Knutson-Kobold, Moser 2), White 8 (Doud, Hittner, Ollinger 2). Turnovers: Gray 10, White 9.

4A/5A WHITE 76, 4A/5A GRAY 60

4A/5A GRAY (60): McKenzie Dunn 1-9 0-0 3, McKenna Andersen 2-9 2-2 8, Caitlin Marshall 1-6 0-0 3, Lizzy Trulson 0-2 0-0 0, Tori Van Velzen 4-8 2-4 11, Sydney Hayden 3-7 0-0 7, Molly Jacobsen 4-10 4-4 14, Kennedy Kracht 3-18 1-4 7, Bekka Pierson 2-11 0-3 5, Taylor Lathrum 1-6 0-2 2. Totals 21-86 9-19 60.

4A/5A WHITE (76): Maci Griffith 2-9 0-0 4, Joniqua Clark 1-6 0-0 2, Emily Frisk 1-4 0-0 2, Anne Visser 4-9 2-2 12, Kristen Wegmann 2-3 0-0 5, Awal Ajak 4-11 2-3 11, Olivia Schmidt 6-12 1-2 13, Jenna Taylor 7-10 0-0 16, Tristin Ludwig 2-4 1-1 5, Danika Lucy 3-11 0-0 6. Totals 32-79 6-8 76.

Halftime: Gray 32, White 31. 3-point goals: Gray 9-35 (Dunn 1-6, Andersen 2-6, Marshall 1-5, Trulson 0-1, Van Velzen 1-3, Hayden 1-4, Jacobsen 2-5, Kracht 0-1, Pierson 1-3, Lathrum 0-1), White 6-33 (Griffith 0-4, Clark 0-2, Visser 2-5, Wegmann 1-2, Ajak 1-6, Schmidt 0-3, Taylor 2-3, Ludwig 0-2, Lucy 0-6). Team fouls: Gray 7, White 16. Rebounds: Gray 58 (Pierson 9), White 57 (Griffith 8). Assists: Gray 7 (Hayden 3), White 15 (Clark 6). Steals: Gray 7 (Andersen 2), White 9 (Lucy 3). Turnovers: Gray 15, White 14.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com