Challenge comes, and North Linn responds

TROY MILLS - Maybe it's a minor stretch to call it Hell Week.

But it's definitely a week of regular-season reckoning for the North Linn Lynx.

'I think it's good,” said senior all-stater Nicole Miller. 'We've been waiting all season for some competition like this.”

Other than a four-minute stretch, the Lynx handled it just fine.

Miller scored 28 points, and Class 2A third-ranked North Linn jumped to a 22-point first-half lead and downed 1A No. 10 Springville, 58-38, in a battle of Tri-Rivers Conference West Division girls' basketball unbeatens Friday night at North Linn High School.

The Lynx hit seven 3-pointers before halftime and improved to 11-0 overall, 6-0 in the division.

'You look good when your shots are going in,” said Lynx Coach Brian Wheatley. 'We made shots in the first half, and as it turns out, it's a good thing we did. Springville did a good job in the second half, and there was a stretch of 4 or 5 minutes in which we couldn't do anything.”

Springville (9-1, 5-1) crept within 11 points midway through the third quarter before the Lynx reasserted themselves.

'We were a lot more aggressive in the second half,” said Orioles Coach Nate Sanderson. 'We were able to put pressure on passers and get out on their shooters a little quicker.”

North Linn's pre-holiday slate featured a series of blowouts; the Lynx won their first nine games by about 50 points a pop. They resumed Tuesday with a 20-point win over a perennially strong Maquoketa Valley outfit, then matched that margin Friday.

It gets even tougher Saturday - a matchup with reigning Wisconsin small-school state champion Barneveld at Dubuque.

'Good teams are going to go on runs,” said Miller, who grabbed 10 rebounds and four steals. 'We need to cope with that a little better than we did tonight.”

Miller (a Drake University signee) and Katie Kurt drilled a pair of 3-pointers each in a 14-0 first-quarter run that put the Lynx in control at 21-5.

Miller's fourth trey of the half gave the Lynx their largest lead of the half at 33-11. It was 33-13 at intermission.

Freshman post Mikayla Nachazel triggered Springville's third-quarter push, scoring eight straight Springville points in an 11-2 run that brought the Orioles within 35-24. Nachazel led the visitors with 14 points.

The comeback ended there, though, as Springville went scoreless for the final 4:50 of the quarter as North Linn pushed the lead back to 17.

Maddie Boer added eight points, four assists and five steals for the winners. Kurt, Brooke Dobney and Morgan Boer scored six apiece.

Rylee Menster, another freshman, added eight points for the Orioles. Megan Wagaman snagged nine boards and five steals.

Springville is at Bellevue Marquette on Saturday.

NORTH LINN 58, SPRINGVILLE 38

At Troy Mills

SPRINGVILLE (38): Megan Wagaman 1-6 2-2 4, Rylee Menster 2-7 0-0 8, Chrissy Hoogland 1-5 0-0 2, Sarah Matus 2-6 0-0 5, Rachel Gloeckner 0-2 0-0 0, Alyssa Jaeger 2-3 1-2 5, Madi Wagaman 0-0 0-0 0, Mikayla Nachazel 7-13 0-4 14. Totals 16-42 3-8 38.

NORTH LINN (58): Maddie Boer 3-9 1-2 8, Kayla Carrothers 2-2 0-0 4, Nicole Miller 9-19 6-6 28, Brooke Dobney 2-5 0-0 6, Morgan Boer 3-8 0-0 6, Taylor Burke 0-0 0-0 0, Katie Kurt 2-3 0-0 6, Ashley Tull 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 21-47 7-8 58.

Halftime: North Linn 33, Springville 13. 3-point goals: Springville 3-10 (Menster 2-4, Matus 1-4, Gloeckner 0-2), North Linn 9-21 (Ma.Boer 1-6, Miller 4-7, Dobney 2-5, Kurt 2-3). Team fouls: Springville 10, North Linn 11. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Springville 27 (Me.Wagaman 9), North Linn 27 (Miller 10). Assists: Springville 11 (Matus 4), North Linn 15 (Ma.Boer 4). Steals: Springville 12 (Me.Wagaman 5), North Linn 16 (Ma.Boer 5). Turnovers: Springville 20, North Linn 17.

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