Marion's super sophomores lead rout of Indee

MARION – Even younger, but even better?

Last year as freshmen, they led the Marion girls' basketball team to within a game of the Class 4A state tournament. Now battle-tested sophomores, guards Mia Laube, Chloe Rice and Caitlyn Smith have welcomed a pair of freshmen for an all-underclassmen starting lineup and appear poised to take that next step.

The seventh-ranked Indians poured in 11 first-half 3-pointers, seven during a 27-0 eruption and routed Independence, 62-27, Tuesday night in a Wamac Conference game.

'This team has shown flashes of being really good,' Marion Coach Corby Laube said. 'We really feel like we haven't peaked yet.'

Independence (6-9, 2-6 Wamac) jumped out early to leads of 8-3 and 9-6 before Marion began the decisive burst. Smith made four of her five first-half 3-pointers that flipped the 9-6 deficit into a 33-9 Indians' lead.

'My teammates really hit me right in the shooting pocket,' Smith said. 'So that really helped a lot.'

Smith finished with a game-high 15 points, while Laube added 10 and six rebounds. Rice, sophomore Elle Herold and senior forward Tessa Jordan chipped in eight points apiece. Rice also distributed five assists for Marion (10-4, 7-1), which led 48-17 at halftime and led by as many as 37 points in the second half.

'I think we're getting better at communicating,' said Smith, who added three rebounds and a steal. 'That's been one of our goals. We really want to get that talk up (and) intensity. I think we're just jelling as a team. We're finding our teamwork and we're putting it all together.'

Freshmen forwards Randi Wright and Sophie Willette — whose defense helped limit Independence to a season-low point total — complete the starting five for the Indians.

Of Marion's four losses this season, two have been to unbeaten second-ranked teams in both 3A (Center Point-Urbana) and 4A (Western Dubuque), plus 5A schools Linn-Mar and Cedar Rapids Prairie.

'Their goals are obviously very, very high,' Corby Laube said. 'That's what they want. They want to be one of the best teams in the state.'

Sophomore Lydia Butter led Independence with eight points.

Both teams return to the court Friday. Marion visits Williamsburg, while Independence hosts Benton Community.

AT MARION

INDEPENDENCE (27):

Holly Cooksley 0 0-0 0, Kaitlyn Niedert 2 0-3 5, Jada Krieger 1 2-2 4, Emma Meador 0 0-0 0, Kelsey Gruber 0 0-0 0, Lydia Butters 3 1-1 7, Mackenzie Hupke 0 0-2 0, Brittney Larsen 2 2-3 6, Heidi Lau 0 0-0 0, Tristin Ludwig 2 0-0 5, Chloe Henningsen 0 0-0 0, Haylee Lau 0 0-0 0, Totals 10 5-11 27.

MARION (62):

Kenzie Redmond 0 0-0 0, Maddie Knapp 1 1-2 4, Chloe Rice 1 5-6 8, Caitlyn Smith 5 0-0 15, Randi Wright 1 0-0 2, Cam Cannoy 0 0-0 0, Dani Dunne 1 0-0 2, Mia Laube 3 2-2 10, Sophie Willette 0 1-2 1, Elle Herold 3 0-0 8, Sydney Nielsen 0 0-0 0, Miranda Beik 1 0-0 2, Isabella Sade 1 0-0 2, Tessa Jordan 2 4-4 8, Hallie Kephart 0 0-0 0, Olivia Draves 0 0-0 0, Totals 19 13-16 62.

Halftime – Marion 48, Independence 17. Three-point goals – Independence 2 (Niedert, Ludwig), Marion 11 (Smith 5, Laube 2, Herold 2, Rice 1, Knapp 1). Total fouls – Independence 14, Marion 14. Fouled out –

None.

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com