Maquoketa answers every Solon challenge, hangs on in a non-conference dandy, 64-60

MAQUOKETA — When the competition level escalates, Maquoketa tends to rise with it.

“I love these games,” Aubrey Kroymann said. “Sometimes we play down in our conference games, but against these teams, we play elite. It was the same against Norwalk (earlier this season).

“We play more together, and the ball is moving better.”

Class 3A top-ranked Maquoketa countered every threat that Solon could muster, and held off the 4A No. 9 Spartans, 64-60, in a wildly entertaining non-conference girls basketball game Monday night at Maquoketa High School.

“We were looking forward to it,” Cora Widel said after the Cardinals (11-2) won their 10th consecutive game. “We’d seen that Solon has had a few big wins. This was a big challenge for us, and we were able to pull through.”

Kroymann (21 points, 11 rebounds) and Widel (16 points, eight boards, six assists) generally get the ink and the headlines for the Cardinals, and they will here again.

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But the so-called supporting cast was nails. Four other players scored six points apiece. Hadley Ihrig came off the bench to grab eight rebounds. And if there was a loose ball, odds were that Justice Armsbruster (six steals) would come away with it.

“Justice ... we call her our rabid dog,” Kroymann said.

“That’s just how she is in practice, every single day,” Maquoketa Coach Chad Specht said. “She brings it.”

Maquoketa jumped to a 10-0 lead, drew a third foul on Solon freshman star Tenley Levin early in the second quarter and committed just five turnovers to the Spartans’ 19.

Still, victory wasn’t secure until Widel hit the second of two free throws with 4 seconds to go.

“I think we’re pretty good,” Solon Coach Jamie Smith said. “I don’t think we’re great ... yet. But we moved the ball better, we played defense. We kept playing.”

Delainey Durr led the Spartans with 17 points. Levin added 16 points and 14 rebounds (16 and 12 in the second half).

Laney Johnson and Jerzey Haluska contributed 12 points apiece.

The Spartans (8-4) more than simply survived in Levin’s absence. In the final 7:48 of the first half, they nailed five 3-pointers and cut a 12-5 deficit to 29-26.

Widel’s transition basket pushed the Cardinals’ advantage to 45-36 with 2:25 left in the third. But the Spartans got within one possession on five occasions in the fourth quarter, the last on Durr’s 3-pointer with 12 seconds left.

“Solon’s is up in your face, they play physical defense,” Widel said. “(The low turnover total) shows how disciplined we were. Our goal is 13 turnovers or less ... to (commit) five against Solon, that’s huge for us.”

Maquoketa 64, Solon 60

At Maquoketa

SOLON (60): Delainey Durr 5-9 5-6 17, Laney Johnson 4-9 0-0 12, Laeni Hinkle 1-2 0-0 3, Tenley Levin 3-9 10-14 16, Jerzey Haluska 4-8 3-4 12, Avery Johnson 0-0 0-0 0, Ellie Durr 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-37 18-24 60.

MAQUOKETA (64): Aubrey Kroymann 10-20 1-4 21, Maelyn Kluever 3-9 0-0 6, Kendall Kuhlman 2-8 0-0 6, Justice Armbruster 2-7 21-4 6, Cora Widel 4-14 8-10 16, Hadley Ihrig 3-4 0-2 6, Isabel Hopson 0-1 0-0 0, Arabella Wagner 1-1 0-0 3. Totals 25-65 11-20 64.

Solon 5 21 16 18 — 60

Maquoketa 12 17 19 16 — 64

3-point goals: Solon 8-18 (D. Durr 25, L. Johnson 4-7, Hinkle 1-2, Levin 0-3, Haluska 1-1), Maquoketa 3-16 (Kluever 0-3, Kuhlman 2-6, Armbruster 0-1, Widel 0-4, Hopson 0-1, Wagner 1-1). Team fouls: Solon 20, Maquoketa 18. Fouled out: none. Technical: Kroymann. Rebounds: Solon 32 (Levin 14), Maquoketa 33 (Kroymann 11). Assists: Solon 10 (Hinkle, Levin 3), Maquoketa 12 (Widel 6). Steals: Solon 4 (L. Johnson 2), Maquoketa 14 (Armbruster 6). Turnovers: Solon 19, Maquoketa 5.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com