Springville’s Rowan Jacobi becomes Iowa’s 25th member of the 2,000-point club

Rowan Jacobi’s benchmark basket came from an offensive rebound.

Of course it did. Few do it better.

A senior at Springville High School, Jacobi became the 25th girls basketball player in state history to reach the 2,000-point plateau. She did it Tuesday, in the Orioles’ 66-45 home victory over MFL MarMac.

“It’s cool,” she said Wednesday. “It’s a great accomplishment. At the end of last season, I was around 1,400 and this was in the back of my mind. I told my mom about it all summer.”

Jacobi scored 23 points Tuesday, upping her career total to 2,003. She also has more than 1,100 career rebounds, which ranks top-20 all-time in Iowa.

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“Rebounding is something I’ve wanted to focus on more,” said Jacobi, a mobile 6-foot-2 post who has signed with the University of South Dakota. “I could have done better (on the glass Tuesday), but I think it gives my teammates confidence that if they miss, I’ve got a 50/50 chance to get the putback.”

Jacobi is averaging 26.3 points, 13.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 4.1 steals per game this season. She is shooting 58.2 percent from the field, 71.2 percent from the free-throw line.

She was a 1A first-team all-state selection last season, and also earned first-team all-state honors in volleyball last fall and was a three-event state placewinner in track and field as a junior.

Tuesday’s win closed Springville’s regular-season book at 21-1. The Orioles will face Fort Madison Holy Trinity or North Cedar in a 1A regional quarterfinal Tuesday at home.

MVC races reach their conclusion

Three surprises — two minor, one very major — changed the landscape of the Mississippi Valley Conference races Tuesday.

The biggie came at Iowa City High, where Cedar Rapids Jefferson took down the Valley Division title hopeful Little Hawks, 48-44.

Also, Cedar Rapids Washington slipped into a first-place tie in the Valley Division with Cedar Falls by virtue of a 62-57 loss to Cedar Rapids Prairie (at Cornell College), and Iowa City Liberty dropped out of a tie for the Mississippi Division lead with a 55-47 setback at Cedar Rapids Xavier.

Meanwhile, Iowa City West and Cedar Falls took care of business, setting up the final, climactic night of the league season. Here’s who the contenders play:

MISSISSIPPI DIVISION

* Iowa City West (14-6, 10-3): Cedar Rapids Xavier (H), Friday.

* Iowa City Liberty (13-7, 9-4): Cedar Rapids Kennedy (H), Friday.

VALLEY DIVISION

* Cedar Falls (16-4, 11-2): Dubuque Hempstead (H), Friday.

* Cedar Rapids Washington (15-4, 11-2): Iowa City High (H), Thursday.

* Iowa City High (16-5, 10-3): At Cedar Rapids Washington, Thursday.

Tipping off the postseason

The top cluster of Class 1A teams earn regional first-round byes, and get to rest and scout before beginning postseason play next Tuesday.

The majority of the small-school teams get going Thursday. Here are three quality area 1A first-round matchups:

* Cedar Ridge Christian (11-10) at North Tama (12-9) — The Redhawks claimed a 43-25 verdict on Jan. 22, their first win over CRC (formerly Waterloo Christian) since 2018.

* Midland (6-15) at Calamus-Wheatland (9-13) — This will be the second meeting between the Tri-Rivers East rivals in less than a week; Cal-Wheat won 43-39 Friday at Wyoming.

* HLV-TC (7-14) at BGM (8-12) — The Bears ended an 11-game losing streak to the Warriors on Jan. 16, 48-39. The winner gets to face top-10 Gladbrook-Reinbeck in Round 2.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com