Marion bows out in 4A semifinals

DES MOINES — Chloe Rice took a breath and looked up during a postseason interview.

'Obviously, this wasn't the end we wanted,' she said.

Actually, this isn't the end at all.

The Marions Indians scratched and clawed away at a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit, but eighth-ranked Pella made enough free throws down the stretch and hung on for a 54-48 Class 4A semifinal victory at the girls' state basketball tournament Friday afternoon at Wells Fargo Arena.

'We've had some close games this season that have come down to free throws, so we went up there with confidence,' Pella's Katie Vander Molen said. 'We believed in ourselves and we believed in each other.

The Dutch (23-2) won their 21st consecutive game and advanced to face No. 9 Mason City for the championship at 6 p.m. Saturday. The Mohawks (17-8) defeated No. 5 Keokuk, 57-45, Friday morning.

No. 7 Marion retired at 20-5, its 13-game winning streak halted.

The Indians' season is over, but this isn't the end. The starting lineup consisted of three sophomores and two freshmen.

'We're going to keep doing what we've done,' Mia Laube said. 'We're going to get to summer camps, keep working hard and keep getting better.'

Corby Laube, the Indians' coach and Mia's father, said, 'These girls would play tomorrow if somebody had a ball and a gym lined up.'

Pella, meanwhile, has one more game because it defended, and because it outrebounded the Indians, 36-20.

'We really concentrated on boxing out, finding a body and not letting their quick guards go crash the boards,' Vander Molen said.

Marion's Maddie Knapp made a 3-pointer to tie the game, 29-29, late in the third quarter, but the Dutch scored the next nine points, including Vander Molen's buzzer-beating trey at the end of the period.

Marion faced an uphill task the rest of the way. A 3-pointer by Rice and a baseline drive by Knapp got the Indians within 45-44 with 1:45 left, then the Dutch made nine of 10 free throws, including their final eight.

Vander Molen led all scorers with 15 points, and Kiara Bradley supplied 13 points and 12 rebounds for Pella.

Mia Laube paced Marion with 12 points. Rice added 11 points and four assists. Knapp scored seven points, Sophie Willette six.

Don't bet against a rematch between these teams here next year. None of the 10 starters from this game are seniors.

'We're ready to see what's next for us,' said Marion's Caitlyn Smith.

PELLA 54, MARION 48 (Class 4A State Semifinal)

At Des Moines

MARION (48): Chloe Rice 3-8 4-4 11, Caitlyn Smith 1-5 0-0 3, Randi Wright 2-4 0-0 4, Mia Laube 4-8 4-4 12, Sophie Willette 2-6 0-0 6, Maddie Knapp 3-5 0-0 7, Elle Herold 1-2 0-0 2, Isabella Sade 1-5 1-2 5. Totals 17-43 9-10 48.

PELLA (54): Annika Pingel 0-2 4-4 4, Kiara Bradley 4-9 4-4 13, Ciara Buchheit 1-5 4-6 6, Katie Vander Molen 5-14 3-4 15, Chloe Van Vliet 3-8 0-1 7, Kloe Lambert 1-1 0-0 3, Kara Wichhart 0-0 0-0 0, Emily Holterhaus 3-4 0-0 6. Totals 17-43 15-19 54.

Halftime: Pella 24, Marion 20. 3-point goals: Marion 5-17 (Rice 1-4, Smith 1-4, Wright 0-1, Laube 0-1, Willette 2-4, Knapp 1-3), Pella 5-16 (Bradley 1-2, Buchheit 0-3, Vander Molen 2-6, Van Vliet 1-4, Lambert 1-1). Team fouls: Marion 19, Pella 8. Fouled out: Rice. Rebounds: Marion 20 (Sade 5), Pella 36 (Bradley 12). Assists: Marion 8 (Rice 4), Pella 6 (Buchheit 2). Steals: Marion 6 (Rice 2), Pella 5 (Bradley 2). Turnovers: Marion 11, Pella 12.

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