Iowa Valley claims border battle

CEDAR RAPIDS - They are border rivals, but haven't played for real in 15 years.

That changed Saturday, and the Iowa Valley-Williamsburg series may become a regular thing in girls' basketball.

'We're going to try to get this as a non-conference game,” Iowa Valley Coach John Bowlin said after the Tigers prevailed, 33-27, in the first game of the annual Rivalry Saturday event at the U.S. Cellular Center.

'We love the opportunity to play a bigger school.”

The last meeting between the schools was in 2000, when Williamsburg was still a member of the South Iowa Cedar League. Growing enrollment pushed the school first to the Eastern Iowa Hawkeye Conference, then eventually to the Wamac, its current home.

They played last year in a Hall of Pride exhibition game.

Anna Herrmann led the Tigers (7-3) with 12 points. Meghan Pounds added nine points and seven rebounds.

Pounds moved from Williamsburg to Marengo last summer and is spending her final year of high school at Iowa Valley.

'I was afraid I would pass to some of their girls, just out of habit,” she said. 'I was really nervous to play them. If we'd have lost, I'd have been upset the rest of the day.”

The Tigers won despite making 22 percent of their shots, sinking 11 of 50. Williamsburg (1-11) was just as chilly, at 23.9 percent.

It's a rare down year for Williamsburg, which had posted 11 straight winning seasons before this winter. The Raiders were hit hard by graduation, and have recently lost top player Claire Simmons to a broken finger.

Olivia Doehrmann paced the Raiders with 10 points, eight in the fourth quarter as they chipped into a 13-point deficit. Williamsburg got as close as 30-25 before Herrmann sank three free throws in the final minute.

IOWA VALLEY 33, WILLIAMSBURG 27

At U.S. Cellular Center

IOWA VALLEY (33): Anna Herrmann 3-15 6-9 12, Chandler Sims 0-2 0-2 0, Meghan Pounds 3-9 3-5 9, Sarah Kavanh 1-3 0-0 2, Lily Seye 3-14 2-2 8, Belle Hartman 1-4 0-1 2, Megan Sauerbrei 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 11-50 11-19 33.

WILLIAMSBURG (27): Brianna Dellamuth 1-4 0-0 2, Carly Schlabaugh 1-7 0-0 2, Jackie Widmer 1-2 0-0 2, Julie Hollensbe 3-13 1-2 7, Olivia Doehrmann 3-8 4-4 10, Katie Eichhorn 0-3 0-0 0, Jess Miller 1-2 0-0 2, Becca Annis 0-2 0-2 0, Kelsa Berkland 0-4 0-1 0. Totals 11-46 5-9 27.

Halftime: Iowa Valley 19, Williamsburg 10. 3-point goals: Iowa Valley 0-9 (Herrmann 0-4, Pounds 0-1, Kavanh 0-2, Seye 0-2), Williamsburg 0-8 (Schlabaugh 0-3, Widmer 0-1, Hollensbe 0-3, Berkland 0-1). Team fouls: Iowa Valley 15, Williamsburg 16. Fouled out: Hollensbe. Rebounds: Iowa Valley 34 (Seye 9), Williamsburg 41 (Dellamuth 7). Assists: Iowa Valley 7 (Sims, Seye 2), Williamsburg 8 (Schlabaugh 4). Steals: Iowa Valley 10 (four with 2), Williamsburg 3 (three with 1). Turnovers: Iowa Valley 12, Williamsburg 23.

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