Defensive shift vaults Cascade into sole possession of RVC North lead

MONTICELLO — The moral of this story is such:

Go with your strength. Especially if that strength is as strong as Cascade’s 2-3 zone.

The Cougars started gimmicky on Monticello’s Jayden Kuper, and Kuper shredded it.

“I asked the girls what they wanted to do, and they wanted to go ‘Hawkeye,’” Cascade Coach Mike Sconsa said, referring to that vaunted zone. “They wanted to do what we did best.”

The Class 2A seventh-ranked Cougars had better success with Kuper from that point on, and notched an important River Valley Conference North Division girls’ basketball win, 45-41, Tuesday night at Monticello High School.

“We knew this was going to be a tough one,” Cascade’s Molly Roling said. “We had to stick together and do what we do.”

Cascade (5-0 overall, 3-0 division) built an 11-point lead early in the fourth quarter, then held on despite making just 2 of 9 free throws.

Roling scored 16 points, Alyssa Lux 12.

“To come here and win on the road, it tells me we’ve got something here,” Sconsa said. “I like the way we compete.”

A 5-foot-11 sophomore, Kuper scored the first 11 points for Monticello (5-1, 2-1) against the Cougars’ face-guarding scheme. She finished with a game-high 17 points and grabbed 16 rebounds.

“She’s tough,” Sconsa said. “You’re not going to stop her. You’ve got to make her work.”

The teams passed the lead back and forth six times in the early going. Lux scored on a drive, Roling converted an offensive rebound into a basket and Ella Otting scored the perimeter in a 6-0 run that put the visitors in front for good, 16-11.

It was 22-16 at halftime, 36-28 after three quarters.

Brea Stahlberg added 13 points for Monticello.

Tuesday’s win — coupled with Maquoketa’s victory over Dyersville Beckman — moved Cascade into sole possession of the RVC North lead.

The rematch is Jan. 27 at Cascade.

And then ...

“We talk about being deadly in February,” Roling said.

BOYS: Monticello 83, Cascade 53

The Panthers surged in front late in the first quarter and won behind Preston Ries’ 23 points.

Carson Lambert added 21 points, Tate Petersen 16 for the Panthers (4-1, 2-1).

Leading 47-37 midway through the third quarter, Monticello put it away with a 9-0 run. The Panthers scored 48 second-half points.

Cole McDermott led Cascade (4-1, 2-1) with 18 points. Jackson Lieurance scored 16.

Cascade 45, Monticello 41

At Monticello

CASCADE (45): Devin Simon 3-6 0-4 7, Alyssa Lux 5-12 0-0 12, Molly Roling 6-16 2-5 16, Taryn Hoffman 2-6 0-0 6, Josie Manternach 0-2 0-0 0, Claudia Noonan 0-2 0-0 0, Ella Otting 2-2 0-0 4, Addison Frake 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 18-47 2-9 45.

MONTICELLO (41): Keziah McQuillen 0-5 0-0 0, Jaelyn Aitchison 1-6 0-0 3, Katie Roher 1-4 0-0 2, Jayden Kuper 7-13 2-3 17, Brea Stahlberg 4-10 5-7 13, Kennedy Hermsen 2-9 0-0 6, Reagan Schneiter 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 15-49 7-10 41.

Cascade 10 12 14 9 — 45

Monticello 9 7 12 13 — 41

3-point goals: Cascade 7-19 (Simon 1-2, Lux 2-5, Roling 2-6, Hoffman 2-4, Manternach 0-1, Noonan 0-1), Monticello 4-19 (McQuillen 0-4, Aitchison 1-3, Roher 0-2, Kuper 1-2, Hermsen 2-8). Team fouls: Cascade 12, Monticello 14. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Cascade 34 (Simon 7), Monticello 36 (Kuper 16). Assists: Cascade 7 (Lux 4), Monticello 9 (McQuillen, Kuper 3). Steals: Cascade 6 (Lux, Roling 2), Monticello 5 (Kuper, Stahlberg 2). Turnovers: Cascade 10, Monticello 10.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com