Anna Quillin is the difference in Solon’s win over Marion

MARION — Where’s Anna Quillin?

Most likely, according to Jamie Smith, in near proximity to the basketball.

“She’s always around the ball,” said Smith, girls’ basketball coach at Solon High School. “I’ve noticed that since she was in junior high.”

Tuesday night, around the ball was a good place for Quillin to be. The junior reserve notched 15 points and 14 rebounds to help lift the Class 3A third-ranked Spartans to a 58-49 Wamac Conference East Division road victory over 4A No. 15 Marion.

“Coach tells me, go for rebounds,” Quillin said. “I try to be a team player, get shots when I can. We work as a team and are able to pull out wins.”

Solon (15-2 overall, 5-0 division) pulled this one out with a game-closing 14-2 run. Quillin’s two free throws put the Spartans in front, 51-49, with 1:57 to go.

“I missed a couple earlier in the game and I thought, ‘That’s going to bite us later,’” Quillin said. “I knew I had to block everything out ... the crowd, their student section, everything.”

Marion (7-8, 2-3) trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half, but worked its way back into contention. It was 33-25 at halftime, 44-41 at the end of three quarters.

The Wolves scored the first six points of the fourth period for a 47-44 advantage, but Solon made the final surge.

Hailey Miller’s 3-pointer put the Spartans in front, 49-47. Ella Bockenstedt’s basket tied it for Marion, 49-49, with 3:30 left, but the Wolves didn’t score again.

Solon junior Callie Levin, a University of Iowa commit, had a steady stat line — 16 points, five rebounds, five assists, seven steals — but Quillin was the difference.

Miller added 11 points, Mia Stahle nine.

Bockenstedt paced Marion with 15 points and eight rebounds, surpassing the 500-rebound mark for her career.

Natalie McAllister didn’t miss a shot (3 for 3 from the field, 4 of 4 from the line) in an 11-point performance.

Solon 58, Marion 49

At Marion

SOLON (58): Kobi Lietz 1-10 2-3 5, Hailey Miller 4-7 1-4 11, Mia Stahle 3-6 2-4 9, Callie Levin 6-14 2-3 16, Hilary Wilson 1-5 0-0 2, Anna Quillin 4-7 7-11 15, Delainey Durr 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-49 14-25 58.

MARION (49): Natalie McAllister 3-3 4-4 11, Regan Rice 3-7 0-0 7, Ella Bockenstedt 6-13 3-5 15, Mila Van Weelden 2-8 2-2 6, Madeline Pavelka 3-6 0-0 6, Mallory Heinricy 2-6 0-1 4, Grace Stephenson 0-0 0-0 0, Sydney Andresen 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-43 9-12 49.

Solon 13 20 11 14 — 58

Marion 6 19 16 8 — 49

3-point goals: Solon 6-23 (Lietz 1-9, Miller 2-5, Stahle 1-3, Levin 2-3, Wilson 0-3), Marion 2-6 (McAllister 1-1, Rice 1-3, Van Weelden 0-1, Heinricy 0-1). Team fouls: Solon 12, Marion 23. Fouled out: Van Weelden, Rice, Pavelka. Rebounds: Solon 36 (Quillin 14), Marion 28 (Bockenstedt 8). Assists: Solon 9 (Levin 5), Marion 7 (Rice 3). Steals: Solon 16 (Levin 7), Marion 9 (McAllister 3). Turnovers: Solon 16, Marion 19.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com