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North Linn edges Gladbrook-Reinbeck in a 1A quarterfinal slugfest, 33-29
It’s the program’s lowest point total in a game since 2016, but the Lynx move on to Friday’s semifinal round
Mar. 5, 2025 7:29 pm, Updated: Mar. 5, 2025 7:58 pm
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DES MOINES — No apologies necessary.
North Linn posted its lowest scoring total in more than nine years, but defense saved the Lynx’s bacon.
No. 2 North Linn outlasted No. 8 Gladbrook-Reinbeck, 33-29, in a Class 1A quarterfinal grinder at the girls’ state basketball tournament Wednesday evening at Wells Fargo Arena.
“It wasn’t always pretty, but we got stops when we needed to,” senior Molly Boge said.
Last year’s 1A state champion, North Linn (24-1) moves into Friday’s semifinal against No. 3 Newell-Fonda (21-4).
Tip time is 3:15 p.m.
“This summer, you’d look at us and you’d think ... ” Mackenzie Bridgewater said.
Emilee Beuter completed the thought:
“ ... oooh, they’re not going anywhere.”
The Lynx weren’t going far offensively in the first half. Gladbrook-Reinbeck (21-4) held a 15-12 lead at intermission.
“We were all jumbled up,” Beuter said.
“You’ve got to credit Gladbrook-Reinbeck,” Lynx Coach Brian Wheatley said. “They’re athletic, they’re long and they made life really, really difficult for us.”
For reference to the Rebels’ athleticism, he showed his team a snippet of G-R’s regional-final win over Lynnville-Sully.
In the video, the ball was wedged between the rim and the backboard, and the Rebels’ Kennedy Brant jumped up and knocked it free.
“He showed us that, and we thought, ‘Oh, crap,’” Bridgewater said. “That had us a little scared.”
North Linn got some offensive flow in the third quarter. The Lynx constructed a 9-0 run (seven points from Boge) for a 25-20 lead.
The Rebels got within 25-24, 28-26 and 30-29, but didn’t score in the final 1:53.
Boge hit three free throws in the final seconds to seal it.
North Linn’s 33-point output was its lowest since a 46-32 loss to Springville on Feb. 5, 2016.
But, again, no apologies necessary. Advancement is all that matters in March.
“Whatever it takes to win,” Wheatley said.
Boge finished with a game-high 15 points, plus four assists and four steals. Beuter added eight points and 12 rebounds.
Brant had 13 points and 11 rebounds for Gladbrook-Reinbeck, which was making its first state trip since 1994.
North Linn 33, Gladbrook-Reinbeck 29
Class 1A State Quarterfinal, at Des Moines
GLADBROOK-REINBECK (29): Brinn Schneider 0-2 0-0 0, Dylan Mathern 1-4 1-2 3, Elly Sieh 3-8 1-2 8, Lily Dripps 1-8 0-0 2, Kennedy Brant 6-14 1-3 13, Olivia Riffey 1-1 0-0 3, Blake Mathern 0-0 0-0 0, Leila Thesing 0-2 0-0 0, Kailey Larsen 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 12-43 3-7 29.
NORTH LINN (33): Allie Haughenbury 1-7 0-0 2, Mackenzie Bridgewater 3-11 0-0 6, Molly Boge 5-11 3-5 15, Carly Ries 0-2 0-0 0, Emilee Beuter 3-7 2-5 8, Ava Hoover 0-1 0-0 0, Samantha West 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 13-42 5-10 33.
Gladbrook-Reinbeck 7 8 7 7 — 29
North Linn 7 5 13 8 — 33
3-point goals: G-R 2-15 (Schneider 0-2, D. Mathern 0-2, Sieh 1-2, Dripps 0-1, Brant 0-3, Riffey 1-1, Larsen 0-4), North Linn 2-11 (Haughenbury 0-1, Bridgewater 0-2, Boge 2-6, Ries 0-1, Hoover 0-1). Team fouls: G-R 12, North Linn 8. Fouled out: Haughenbury. Rebounds: G-R 27 (Brant 11), North Linn 37 (Beuter 12). Assists: G-R 5 (Sieh 4), North Linn 6 (Boge 4). Steals: G-R 7 (Sieh 3), North Linn 9 (Boge 4). Turnovers: G-R 12, North Linn 16.
Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com
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