Solon’s comeback bid falls just short against Sioux Center in a Class 3A girls’ state basketball semifinal

DES MOINES — They had so much going against them.

A glaring first-half deficiency on the boards. A 15-point deficit. Their star player on the bench, disqualified due to fouls.

The Solon Spartans very nearly overcame all of it.

Second-ranked Solon scratched and clawed and pressed its way back, and had a shot to win it at the end, But Hilary Wilson’s 3-pointer rimmed out at the buzzer, and No. 6 Sioux Center left with a 46-44 Class 3A semifinal victory at the girls’ state basketball tournament Thursday afternoon at Wells Fargo Arena.

“We never stopped fighting. We really wanted it,” Solon’s Hailey Miller said. “We believed in each other.”

No matter who was on the floor. And who wasn’t.

When all-state junior Callie Levin — a University of Iowa commit — fouled out with 1:29 left and Sioux Center (20-5) in front, 43-36, it looked like curtains for certain for the Spartans (23-3).

But the remaining Spartans gave it a whirl, and darn near pulled it off.

Miller had a couple of baskets, including a drive with 0:09 left that made it 46-44. After Sioux Center immediately turned it over, Solon had an opportunity to complete a shocking rally. Wilson got a good pass and a good look from the right baseline, but it rimmed out.

“I find myself saying a bunch of cliches, and I hate cliches,” Solon Coach Jamie Smith said. “What the scoresheet doesn’t say is what’s under the jersey.”

He tapped his heart.

“Our kids just kept playing.”

They kept playing, after giving up 14 offensive rebounds and suffering a nearly-unheard-of 28-8 rebounding disadvantage in the first half.

They kept playing, after they fell behind 28-12 early in the third quarter.

They kept playing after Levin went to the bench.

Sioux Center advances to its third state final in seven years. The Warriors were runners-up in 2017 and 2018.

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Girls’ state basketball photos: Solon vs. Sioux Center in 3A semifinals

“Basketball is a big part of our school,” Willow Bleeker said. “(Wilson) shot that 3, and I just prayed that it wouldn’t go in.”

The Warriors prevailed despite shooting 29.5 percent from the floor. They did so on the glass (“Rebounding is a mentality,” said Bleeker, who grabbed 14 boards), and on the defensive end, limiting the Spartans to 26.7 percent.

“We fought until the last second,” Solon’s Mia Stahle said. “You win some, you lose some.”

Miller paced the Spartans with 17 points. Stahle added nine. Levin was held to eight.

Makenna Walhof led Sioux Center with 14 points. Bleeker scored 12.

All of Solon’s players who scored Thursday return for 2023-24, and the Spartans are a good bet for preseason No. 1 in Class 3A next year.

“This is going to push us to be that much better next year,” Stahle said.

Sioux Center 46, Solon 44

Class 3A State Semifinal, at Des Moines

SIOUX CENTER (46): Tatum Schmalbeck 1-6 2-3 5, Willow Bleeker 3-9 6-6 12, Reagan Jansen 2-3 2-2 6, Makenna Walhof 5-11 4-4 14, Cori Harald 0-3 2-2 2, Taya Gesink 0-0 0-0 0, Kennedy Kooi 0-6 1-2 1, Margo Schuiteman 0-3 2-2 2, Maci Schmalbeck 0-0 0-0 0, Makailyn VanderWaal 2-3 0-2 4. Totals 13-44 19-23 46.

SOLON (44): Kobi Lietz 0-4 4-4 4, Hailey Miller 6-12 4-7 17, Mia Stahle 2-7 3-4 9, Callie Levin 3-13 0-1 8, Hilary Wilson 0-6 0-0 0, Claire LaDage 0-0 0-0 0, Anna Quillin 1-3 4-7 6. Totals 12-45 15-23 44.

Sioux Center 10 12 11 13 — 46

Solon 4 9 11 20 — 44

3-point goals: Sioux Center 1-9 (Schmalbeck 1-4, Harald 0-1 Kooi 0-4), Solon 5-27 (Lietz 0-3, Miller 1-5, Stahle 2-7, Levin 2-6, Wilson 0-5, Quillin 0-1). Team fouls: Sioux Center 19, Solon 21. Fouled out: Harald, Levin. Rebounds: Sioux Center 43 (Bleeker 14), Solon 28 (Quillin 11). Assists: Sioux Center 7 (Bleeker 4), Solon 6 (Levin 3). Steals: Sioux Center 6 (Bleeker, Jansen 2), Solon 11 (Lietz, Levin 3). Turnovers: Sioux Center 18, Solon 13.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com