Turnovers, missed shots cost North Linn in girls’ state basketball quarterfinal loss

DES MOINES — It was an uphill battle all the way, on the slick side of the slope.

North Linn never got the traction to scale it.

Too many turnovers and too many missed opportunities cost the fifth-ranked Lynx in a 53-47 Class 2A quarterfinal loss to No. 4 Nodaway Valley at the girls' state basketball tournament Tuesday night at Wells Fargo Arena.

'It's a big stage here. Some of us are more experienced, and some aren't,' North Linn senior post Ellie Ware said. 'It's a different feeling every year, and it just got to us tonight.'

Lindsey Davis scored 20 points, Maddax DeVault added 17, and Nodaway Valley (24-0) advanced to face No. 1 Maquoketa Valley (24-0) in a semifinal at 10 a.m. Friday.

Last year's 2A champion, North Linn bowed out at 21-3.

'This was as good of an offensive team, the last 2-3 weeks, that we've ever had,' Lynx Coach Brian Wheatley said. 'Tonight, it just didn't happen for us.

'We can't let the last two hours take away from the last 3 1/2 months.'

The Wolverines led the whole way, building a 15-point second-quarter advantage. Every time the Lynx seemed poised to pounce, Nodaway Valley answered, or the Lynx muzzled themselves.

North Linn committed 24 turnovers and shot 34 percent from the floor. And a lot of the misses came from near the basket.

'Obviously, I was nervous,' freshman Kamryn Kurt said. 'It just comes down to the missed shots and the turnovers. I hope in the future we can get back here and continue to prove people wrong.'

Down 22-7 early in the second quarter, North Linn climbed within 28-22 at halftime. Knowing their penchant for comebacks last year, that seemed a mission that could be accomplished, but it just didn't materialize.

Davis and DeVault hit back-to-back 3-pointers early in the third quarter to extend the margin to 34-23.

Again, North Linn got within position, creeping within 41-36 on Kurt's two free throws with 5:27 to go. But Nodaway Valley scored the next six points, and the Lynx didn't threaten again.

Kurt led the Lynx with 16 points. Ware had 12 points, 17 rebounds and six blocks, but was just 5 of 15 from the field.

NODAWAY VALLEY 53, NORTH LINN 47

Class 2A State Quarterfinal, at Des Moines

NORTH LINN (47): Chloe Van Etten 3-5 2-3 8, Macy Boge 0-4 1-2 1, Ellie Ware 5-15 2-8 12, Kamryn Kurt 6-18 4-5 16, Ellie Flanagan 3-8 0-0 8, Elise Ware 0-0 0-0 0, Ella Ries 1-3 0-0 2, Caitlin Benesh 0-0 0-0 0, Maddie Stepanek 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-53 9-18 47.

NODAWAY VALLEY (53): Maddax DeVault 6-15 2-7 17, Lindsey Davis 4-10 9-10 20, Macy Kuhns 0-2 0-0 0, Lexi Shike 3-8 1-2 7, Corinne Bond 3-8 3-4 9, Annika Nelson 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 16-45 15-23 53.

Halftime: Nodaway Valley 28, North Linn 22. 3-point goals: North Linn 2-15 (Boge 0-2, Kurt 0-7, Flanagan 2-6, Ries 0-1), Nodaway Valley 6-13 (DeVault 3-6, Davis 3-6, Kuhns 0-1). Team fouls: North Linn 14, Nodaway Valley 12. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: North Linn 42 (Ellie Ware 17), Nodaway Valley 30 (Shike, Bond 8). Assists: North Linn 7 (Kurt 3), Nodaway Valley 10 (Kuhns 5). Steals: North Linn 9 (Boge 4), Nodaway Valley 15 (Bond 6). Turnovers: North Linn 24, Nodaway Valley 20.

Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com