Liberty shuts down Prairie’s veteran trio in a 62-42 MVC victory

NORTH LIBERTY — Defensive game-planning is one thing.

“We knew that (Cedar Rapids Prairie) had three girls that can score, that can do anything,” Iowa City Liberty’s Natalie Ramsey said.

Defensive execution is another.

Class 5A 10th-ranked Liberty held the Hawks’ “big three” -- Emily Larsen, Brynlie Hadenfeldt and KeaOnna Worley -- to a combined 8-of-38 from the field, and the Lightning rolled to a 62-42 Mississippi Valley Conference girls basketball victory Friday night at Liberty High School.

“The key all week was how we were going to attempt to defend them, and how much help we were going to provide,” Liberty Coach Jaime Brandt said.

“We did contest just about every shot they took.”

Back-to-back 3-pointers by Ava Casey in the span of a half-minute midway through the first quarter staked the Lightning (7-4 overall, 3-1 MVC) to an 11-3 advantage.

No. 14 Prairie (5-5, 1-3) crept within 18-15 by the midpoint of the second quarter, but a Liberty free-throw parade (nine attempts, nine makes) in the final 2:41 of the half staked the Lightning to a 30-20 halftime advantage.

The margin never strayed below double-digits again.

“Our help defense was really important,” Casey said. “If you don’t talk, nothing is going to work.”

Brandt singled out the stopping power of Natalie Schechinger.

“You can’t take her off of the floor on the basis of her defense,” Brandt said. “I’m sure the players from the other teams don’t want her to guard them. She just has a knack for it.”

A signee of the University of South Dakota, Ramsey posted 25 points and 12 rebounds. Casey added 16 points, draining 5 of 7 shots from the perimeter.

Madilyn Meyer added a handy eight points, five rebounds and three assists.

Prairie dropped its fourth consecutive game. Worley led the Hawks with 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists, but was 2-of-14 from the field.

Larsen (4-of-18) added 10 points.

Iowa City Liberty 62, Cedar Rapids Prairie 42

At North Liberty

C.R. PRAIRIE (42): KeaOnna Worley 2-14 7-8 12, Brynlie Hadenfeldt 2-6 2-2 7, Emily Larsen 4-18 1-2 10, Piper Johnson 1-3 0-0 2, Kylie Wachtl 0-3 3-4 4, Kennady Johnson 2-3 0-0 5, Brecken Lechtenberg 0-0 0-0 0, Malena Daville 1-1 0-0 3, Kennedy Minshall 0-0 0-0 0, Reece Goerdt 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 12-48 13-16 42.

IOWA CITY LIBERTY (62): Ava Casey 5-9 1-2 16, Natalie Schechinger 1-3 0-0 2, Morgan Bennett 1-8 0-0 2, Madilyn Meyer 1-2 5-6 8, Natalie Ramsey 7-18 9-11 25, Olivya Johnson 0-4 0-0 0, Kennedy Goodheart 0-1 0-0 0, Ava Tague 1-3 0-0 3, Aubrey Meyer 3-6 0-0 6. Totals 19-54 62.

C.R. Prairie 6 14 10 12 — 42

Iowa City Liberty 15 15 15 17 — 62

3-point goals: Prairie 5-25 (Worley 1-5, Hadenfeldt 1-2, Larsen 1-11, P. Johnson 0-2, Wachtl 0-3, K. Johnson 1-1, Daville 1-1), Liberty 9-24 (Casey 5-7, Bennett 0-5, M. Meyer 1-2, Ramsey 2-4, O. Johnson 0-3, Goodheart 0-1, Tague 1-2). Team fouls: Prairie 16, Liberty 15. Fouled out: Hadenfeldt. Rebounds: Prairie 35 (Worley 8), Liberty 40 (Ramsey 12). Assists: Prairie 5 (Worley 4), Liberty 11 (Schechinger, M. Meyer, Ramsey 3). Steals: Prairie 3 (three with 1), Liberty 3 (Ramsey 2). Turnovers: Prairie 7, Liberty 6.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com