Girls’ basketball, Rivalry Saturday 2023: Solon 49, Dike-New Hartford 48

CEDAR RAPIDS — Solon surrendered 28 points to Payton Petersen, and Jamie Smith didn’t mind a bit.

“We were going to let her get her points,” said Smith, the girls’ basketball coach at Solon.

Then he backtracked, just a smidge.

“Well, we were going to make it as tough as possible, but we were going to take our chances on her. And if she did miss, we wanted to get the rebounds.”

In one of the plums of Rivalry Saturday XIX, Class 3A second-ranked Solon used a late 7-0 run, then held off 2A No. 1 Dike-New Hartford, 49-48, at Johnson Hall.

University of Iowa signee Callie Levin scored 23 points, and clinched the game with a steal on the Wolverines’ last possession.

“We’ve been putting in a lot of work for this one,” Levin said. “They’re big, so we had to do what we do, and do it really well.”

Like what?

“Like rebound and shoot the 3 confidently,” she said.

Solon trailed 44-42 before Hailey Miller put the Spartans (2-0) in front for good. Levin followed with a steal and a basket, then Mia Stahle’s drive made it 49-44 Spartans with 2:07 to go.

Baskets by Jadyn Petersen and Payton Petersen cut the margin to one, but the Spartans closed the door there.

The Petersen twins combined for 41 points for DNH (1-1). They have been the common denominators in the Wolverines’ back-to-back-to-back 2A championships.

Miller added 12 points for the Spartans.

The game was sort of a cat-and-mouse encounter. Solon built a 35-26 lead late in the third, then DNH got within 35-33.

Solon rebuilt the margin to 41-33; DNH put together an 11-1 run for a brief lead.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com