Monticello pushes past Mount Ayr, 56-49

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DES MOINES -- The first quarter was rough. The final two minutes were dicey.

In between, the Monticello Panthers played some very good basketball.

Winning basketball.

Eighth-ranked Monticello scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter to break open a tight game, then held off No. 4 Mount Ayr, 56-49, in a Class 2A quarterfinal at the girls' state tournament Monday night at Wells Fargo Arena.

"I don't remember that last minute and a half," said Monticello Coach Donnie Kremer. "It didn't seem like it would end."

Monticello (25-1) advances to face No. 1 Ida Grove OA-BCIG (24-0) in a semifinal at noon Thursday. The Falcons defeated No. 11 IKM-Manning, 54-50, Monday.

"It's going to be tough, but if we play hard, we can stay with them," said Kelsie Etten, who helped keep the Panthers afloat after leading scorer Brooke Stahlberg picked up two early fouls.

The Class 1A runner-up last year, Mount Ayr (22-3) enjoyed a 24-21 halftime lead and was still within a point as the fourth quarter began.

But Jordan Aitchison had five points and Stahlberg added four as the Panthers opened the fourth quarter with a 9-0 burst.

It's not an uncommon occurence. Monticello generally rules the fourth quarter of its games.

"We like to wear teams down in the first half, then take it to them in the second," Etten said.

Monticello shot 52 percent in the second half.

Mount Ayr got within four on three occasions, the last on Jensen Stewart's three-point play with 49 seconds left. But the Panthers held off each threat.

Despite missing 10 minutes due to foul trouble, Stahlberg led the Panthers with 15 points. Etten tallied 14 and Aitchinson added 12.

Stahlberg hit a 3-pointer to put the Panthers up 3-2, but committed her second foul on the next possession, at the 5:09 mark of the first quarter.

She sat the rest of the quarter as Mount Ayr built a 16-8 lead.

"The first few minutes were scary," Aitchison said. "It's really different up here. Once we got the jitters out, we were OK."

Etten scored the Panthers' first seven points of the second quarter, and by the time Stahlberg returned, Monticello was within 18-15.

"Etten is our go-to person if Brooke is out or being shut down," Kremer said. "She really stepped up."

The Panthers took a brief lead at 19-18 on Becca Dirks' transition basket, but the Raiderettes regained the advantage, 24-21, at halftime.

Etten hit a pair of free throws at the 4:50 mark of the third quarter to put Monticello up 29-28, and the Panthers led the rest of the way.

Stewart paced Mount Ayr with 15 points. Becca Pennington added 11.

AT DES MOINES

MONTICELLO (56): Brooke Stahlberg 5-7 4-6 15, Jordan Aitchison 5-11 2-5 12, Taylor Aitchison 1-4 3-4 6, Sydney Herman 0-2 1-2 1, Kelsie Etten 4-11 6-7 14, Heidi Wolf 0-0 0-0 0, Ashley Kremer 0-3 0-0 0, Paxtyn Keleher 3-3 0-0 6, Tracy Hermsen 0-0 0-0 0, Becca Dirks 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 19-42 16-24 56.

MOUNT AYR (49): Megan Doubleday 0-1 0-0 0, Bailey Myer 4-12 1-2 9, Jensen Stewart 4-13 5-5 15, Becca Pennington 5-10 1-2 11, Claire Andresen 3-9 0-0 8, Ashley Phelps 1-1 0-0 2, Molly Budech 0-0 0-0 0, Taylor Still 2-4 0-0 4. Totals 19-50 7-9 49.

Halftime: Mount Ayr 24, Monticello 21.

3-point goals: Monticello 2-7 (Stahlberg 1-1, J.Aitchison 0-2, T.Aitchison 1-2, Etten 0-1, Kremer 0-1), Mount Ayr 4-13 (Myer 0-3, Stewart 2-6, Andresen 2-3, Still 0-1).

Team fouls: Monticello 15, Mount Ayr 18.

Fouled out: Stahlberg.

Rebounds: Monticello 27 (Etten 6), Mount Ayr 29 (Myer 9).

Assists: Monticello 5 (J.Aitchison 3), Mount Ayr 6 (Myer, Stewart 2).

Steals: Monticello 12 (J.Aitchison 4), Mount Ayr 6 (Stewart, Pennington 2).

Turnovers: Monticello 21, Mount Ayr 24.