Boge sisters help send North Linn to the 1A girls’ basketball state championship game

DES MOINES — You’ve heard of the Bogeyman, but don’t be afraid. He’s just a myth.

Save your fear for the Boge Girls.

Sisters Macy and Molly Boge combined for 28 points, nine assists and nine steals to spur top-ranked North Linn to a 60-37 victory over No. 4 Council Bluffs St. Albert in a Class 1A semifinal at the girls’ state basketball tournament Friday afternoon at Wells Fargo Arena.

“Before the game, Macy came up to me and said, ‘Be ready to shoot today,’” said Molly, a junior and the younger Boge. “She instills confidence in me.”

Macy, a senior, confirmed their pregame sisterly exchange.

“I told her that (St. Albert) probably would be in a triangle-and-two, and that she’d better be ready to shoot,” Macy said. “Just let it fly and nail it.”

North Linn (25-1) advanced to its third final; the Lynx were 2A runners-up in 2015, 2A champions in 2020.

The Lynx will face No. 2 Newell-Fonda (24-2) in what should be a fast-paced title encounter at 7 p.m. Saturday.

“I’m so excited,” said Skylar Benesh, who has been a part of two state-title teams in softball. “We’ve worked so hard, and this is where we want to be.”

The Lynx converted 23 turnovers into 23 points, and connected on 11 of 30 3-point attempts.

“We got a bunch out of a lot of people,” North Linn Coach Brian Wheatley said. “Our defense has been carrying us all week. I’m excited to keep playing. It’s a fun group.”

St. Albert (23-2) possessed a major size advantage over the Lynx, with 6-foot-4 Missy Evezic and a handy 6-footer in sophomore Avah Underwood, the latter of whom finished with 23 points and 13 rebounds.

The Saintes played the Lynx to a 10-10 stalemate for the first 7-plus minutes, but North Linn scored seven points in the final 44 seconds of the first quarter for a 17-10 advantage.

Macy Boge converted a steal into a three-point play, Emilee Beuter scored in transition and Kamryn Kurt added a buzzer-beating bucket.

North Linn added five 3-pointers in the second quarter, and it was 36-23 at halftime.

Molly Boge was 6 of 11 from the field (4 of 8 from long range) and scored 16 points. Macy Boge added 12. Benesh hit half of her long-range shots and tallied nine.

Benesh takes her time in setting her feet and lining it up.

“I feel more comfortable when I don’t try to rush it,” she said. “Shooting really isn’t my role. I’d rather fly around on defense.”

North Linn assembled runs of 6-0 and 10-0 in the third quarter to put it away.

So now, the Lynx are one game from a championship. One very challenging game.

“I’ve been waiting for this for four years,” Macy Boge said. “To make it this far, I’m so pumped.”

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Photos: North Linn vs. St. Albert in Class 1A girls’ state basketball semifinals

North Linn 60, Council Bluffs St. Albert 37

Class 1A State Semifinal, at Des Moines

COUNCIL BLUFFS ST. ALBERT (37): Ellie Monahan 0-2 0-0 0, Lily Krohn 0-2 0-2 0, Ella Klusman 0-5 0-0 0, Avah Underwood 9-11 5-6 23, Missy Evezic 3-8 0-0 6, Kiera Hochstein 0-0 0-0 0, Alexa Lenz 0-0 0-0 0, Madi Walter 0-1 0-0 0, Molly Wise 1-2 0-0 3, Maura Ryan 0-1 0-0 0, Katelynn Hendricks 0-0 0-0 0, Payton Johnsen 0-0 0-0 0, Grace Manz 1-1 0-0 2, Molli Rosloniec 0-0 0-0 0, Eleanor Coughlin 1-1 0-0 3. Totals 15-35 5-8 37.

NORTH LINN (60): Allie Haughenbury 0-1 6-8 6, Mackenzie Bridgewater 2-8 0-0 6, Macy Boge 4-11 3-3 12, Molly Boge 6-11 0-0 16, Kamryn Kurt 3-11 0-0 6, Meghan Wheatley 1-3 0-0 3, Skylar Benesh 3-6 0-0 9, Ava Hoover 0-0 0-0 0, Carly Ries 0-0 0-0 0, Sidney Olson 0-0 0-0 0, Aubrey Wade 0-0 0-0 0, Emilee Beuter 1-1 0-0 2, Samantha West 0-0 0-0 0, Peyton McMahon 0-0 0-0 0, Bryn Collum 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-52 9-11 60.

Council Bluffs St. Albert 10 13 7 7 — 37

North Linn 17 19 16 8 — 60

3-point goals: St. Albert 2-9 (Monahan 0-1, Krohn 0-2, Klusman 0-4, Underwood 0-1, Wise 1-1, Coughlin 1-1), North Linn 11-30 (Bridgewater 2-6, Macy Boge 1-4, Molly Boge 4-8, Kurt 0-3, Wheatley 1-3, Benesh 3-6). Team fouls: St. Albert 11, North Linn 10. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: St. Albert 31 (Underwood 13), North Linn 23 (Kurt 4). Assists: St. Albert 8 (Klusman, Ryan 2), North Linn 15 (Macy Boge 7). Steals: St. Albert 3 (Klusman 2), North Linn 11 (Macy Boge 5). Turnovers: St. Albert 23, North Linn 7.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com