Waverly-Shell Rock tops Marion in regional final

VINTON — Mary Ann Laube's divided loyalty was displayed all over her handcrafted sweater.

With the front split down the middle and 'GRANDMA' emblazoned on the back above numbers four and 21, Laube sat behind the Marion bench, at times cheering for both teams. Not only were granddaughters Mia Laube and Haley Grawe competing head-to-head, but her son Corby Laube was leading the Indians as head coach.

'It was tough on her,' Corby Laube said after his 13th-ranked Indians fell to No. 5 Waverly-Shell Rock, 46-32, in a Class 4A regional final last night at Vinton-Shellsburg High School. 'Obviously, one had to win and one had to lose. But, that's how sports is.'

Haley Grawe is a senior point guard for undefeated and fifth-ranked Waverly-Shell Rock (23-0). Mia Laube, Corby's daughter, is a freshman starter for the up-and-coming Marion Indians. On this night, it was the Go-Hawks faithful that celebrated thanks to their tough, physical defense. Waverly-Shell Rock entered the game ranked fifth in Class 4A in points allowed per game (33.1), and it showed early by holding the Indians to just three first-quarter points for a 15-3 Go-Hawks' advantage.

'They're pretty physical, obviously,' Corby Laube said. 'They're strong. Maybe that bothered us a little bit.'

Just before halftime, Marion (17-6) trimmed the deficit to 20-15 on a 3-pointer by junior Tessa Jordan. Waverly-Shell Rock pushed the lead back up over double digits for good with a rebound and putback by Bekka Pierson, then a 3-pointer by Grawe for a 32-19 lead after three frames. Waverly-Shell Rock post player Victoria Asplund led all scorers with 14 points. Grawe finished with nine points, at times head-to-head against her cousin, Mia.

'At first when I heard we were playing Marion,' Grawe said. 'I was like, 'Oh my God, we're playing my cousin and my uncle. But then when I started guarding my cousin, it was just, 'OK, this is just a normal game. I just have to play it normal, don't think about it and that's what I did.'

Mia Laube, who scored 21 points in Marion's regional semifinal victory over West Delaware, had just three against Waverly-Shell Rock. With Laube and fellow freshmen Chloe Rice (team-high nine points) and Caitlyn Smith spearheading a turnaround season from 6-16 last year to a game away from the state tournament, it's clear the Indians will be a team to watch over the next three years.

'We're building our program,' Corby Laube said. 'This team right here will be really important in the process of getting where we want to go. This is just the beginning.'

The 4A state tournament begins March 3 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

CLASS 4A REGIONAL FINAL

AT VINTON

MARION (32): Chloe Rice 3 2-3 9, Caitlyn Smith 1 0-0 2, Amanda Sahm 3 2-2 8, Michalyn Mohr 2 0-0 4, Laube 1 1-2 3, Jozee Peyton 0 0-0 0, Dani Dunne 0 0-0 0, Isabelle Sade 0 0-0 0, Tessa Jordan 2 0-0 6, Totals 12 5-7 32.

WAVERLY-SHELL ROCK (46): Haley Grawe 3 1-2 9, Payton Draper 2 4-9 8, Sophia Phillips 1 5-7 7, Elena Gray 0 0-0 0, Bekka Pierson 1 1-2 3, Victoria Asplund 6 2-2 14, Zoey Campbell 0 0-0 0, Paige Marsh 0 0-0 0, Kelsey Young 0 0-0 0, Kenzie Miller 0 0-0 0, Emily Sassman 0 0-0 0, Katie Harken 1 2-4 5, Jess Tharp 0 0-0 0, Totals 14 15-26 46.

Halftime—Waverly-Shell Rock 22-15. Three-point goals—Marion 3 (Jordan 2, Rice 1), Waverly-Shell Rock 3 (Grawe 2, Harken 1). Total fouls—Marion 19, Waverly-Shell Rock 19. Fouled out—None.