Iowa City West makes it back to the girls basketball state tournament

IOWA CITY — Iowa City West’s girls basketball seniors waited all season for this moment.

After falling one game short of the state tournament in each of their first three varsity campaigns, the Trojans’ upperclassmen had one last shot to get to Des Moines.

They made it count.

“It’s amazing,” West senior Grace Fincham said after the seventh-ranked Trojans outlasted No. 8 Iowa City Liberty, 61-54, in a Class 5A regional final Tuesday night at Iowa City West High School. “This has been our (goal) for all four years and we just achieved that goal. We have been talking about that the whole season. Now it is time to go win it.”

Fincham – a Drake signee – poured in a team-high 24 points for West (17-7), which is in the state tournament for the first time since 2021 and eighth time overall. The Trojans earned the No. 6 seed and will play a state quarterfinal against third-seeded Waukee Northwest (17-5) Monday at 3:15 at Casey’s Center.

“It’s obviously special for the school, special for the girls,” fourth-year West Coach Nate Frese said. “I have a real close connection with these senior girls. My daughter (Ava Frese) is in that group. I have known them and their parents since they were in second and third grade. Watching their smiles and the run-up to this, this was what we planned on happening.”

West used a barrage of three-point baskets – seven in the first half alone – to build a 33-21 lead at halftime. Those early treys proved invaluable as the Lightning rallied in the second half.

“They were huge,” said West senior Kate Van Waning, who drilled three 3-pointers in the first half. “I knew they were going in once they left my hand. They got us rolling.”

Midway through the final frame, West maintained a 55-44 advantage before Liberty strung together eight points in a row to get within three points on two occasions. As the Liberty defenders collapsed on Fincham, it was Van Waning and junior Sasha Baldwin who kept the Lightning at bay with crucial baskets.

The pair combined for all of West’s points in a 6-2 closing burst.

“I have been struggling with layups this season,” Van Waning said. “I just knew that my team needed this and I wanted to do it for my team. They gave me the confidence to make that shot and I just knew it was going to go in when it left my hand.”

Van Waning and Baldwin each registered 11 points for West.

South Dakota recruit Natalie Ramsey led all scorers with 25 points for Liberty, which ends its season at 15-8.

Class 5A girls basketball regional final

AT IOWA CITY WEST

No. 7 Iowa City West 61, No. 8 Iowa City Liberty 54

IOWA CITY LIBERTY (54): Ava Casey 6 1-1 17, Aubrey Meyer 0 0-0 0, Natalie Schechinger 0 2-2 2, Kennedy Goodheart 2 0-0 6, Morgan Bennett 1 0-0 2, Madilyn Meyer 1 0-0 2, Natalie Ramsey 11 3-4 25, Brynlie Walker 0 0-0 0, Totals 21 6-7 54.

IOWA CITY WEST (61): Ava Frese 2 0-1 4, Savannah Mathias 2 2-2 6, Kate Van Waning 4 0-0 11, Abby Neumiller 2 1-1 5, Grace Fincham 9 2-2 24, Sasha Baldwin 4 2-2 11, Totals 23 7-8 61.

Iowa City Liberty 4 17 16 17—54

Iowa City West 12 21 13 15—61

Three-point goals – Iowa City Liberty 6 (Casey 4, Goodheart 2), Iowa City West 8 (Fincham 4, Van Waning 3, Baldwin 1). Total fouls – Iowa City Liberty 10, Iowa City West 12. Fouled out – None.

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