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Newell-Fonda returns to finals

DES MOINES — Macy Sievers has played just 35 total minutes of basketball at the state tournament, and the Newell-Fonda freshman is already in the record books.

The 5-foot-7 Mustang is quick to deflect any individual attention, but her defensive prowess helped propel the top-ranked Mustangs (26-0 overall) to their fifth championship game in the last seven seasons on Friday.

Newell-Fonda cruised to an 81-56 victory over Bellevue Marquette (22-3) in a Class 1A semifinal contest inside Wells Fargo Arena.

“Our team has so much talent that during any game, anybody can score,” Sievers said. “During the semifinals, we just found the open teammate to have the best shot possible.

“We are all so unselfish. We don’t care about who scores or how much somebody scores … all we really care about is going 1-0 every night and coming out on top.”

The Mustangs will now meet West Hancock (25-1) in the 1A finale at 7 p.m. on Saturday. The Eagles beat Montezuma 59-50 in the other semifinal.

“The thing I really like about this group is they make the extra pass,” said Newell-Fonda head coach Dick Jungers. “They pass the ball to give the open person the scoring opportunity.

“The girls are very unselfish with the basketball. Macy had a great game. Someone different always steps up; a lot of our kids can do great things.”

Sievers, who played 14 minutes off the bench in the Mustangs’ first round game, recorded a double-double with a career-high 16 points and a state-tournament record 10 steals.

“This game was amazing,” Sievers said. “We were all pumped up and ready for this. Our goal this whole season was to make the championship game and win it.”

Sievers broke the state record for single-game steals, set by teammate Olivia Larsen (9) on Wednesday.

“All of the upperclassmen have been super inviting and encouraging for me and all of the other freshmen,” Sievers said. “I have been able to build up my friendships with my teammates because of all of the sports we have played together this year.

“Since we go to a smaller school, we usually have the same teammates for every sport.”

The Mustang defense hounded Marquette, stealing the ball 30 times. N-F now has 67 steals in the two games.

Newell-Fonda also forced 39 turnovers, after pressing Springville into 43 on Wednesday. The tenacious ball-hawking defense gave the Mustangs a 34-8 edge in points off turnovers. N-F now holds an overwhelming 81-12 advantage in points off turnovers through the first two state games.

“We pressured them up and tried to speed them up to force them to create turnovers, and we were able to do that,” Sievers said. “I tried to read their offensive intentions by cutting the passes and stealing the ball from them.”

Senior Olivia Larsen added to her resume as a Mustang, becoming the school’s career scoring leader with her 10-point outing. Larsen has scored 1,465 points in her career.

Larsen has been part of three state tournament teams and will play in her second straight finals. In her four-year career, the Mustangs have compiled a 91-12 record, including a 52-1 mark the past two seasons.

Junior Megan Morenz (12 points) and senior Emma Stewart (11) also reached double figures. Sophomore Ella Larsen had nine points, as all 15 Newell-Fonda players who suited up got into the game and 11 players reached the scoring column.

NEWELL-FONDA 81, BELLEVUE MARQUETTE 56

Newell-Fonda — Camryn Wilken 1-3 0-0 3, Emma Stewart 3-8 2-2 11, Megan Morenz 5-10 1-2 12, Olivia Larsen 3-15 3-6 10, Ella Larsen 4-11 1-2 9, Bailey Sievers 1-6 2-2 4, Taylor Zeman 0-0 0-0 0, Sophie Stewart 0-2 0-0 0, Macy Sievers 8-11 0-0 16, Maggie Walker 3-7 0-2 7, Paige Roberts 0-1 0-0 0, Ellie Lago 1-2 0-0 2, Ashley Archer 1-3 0-2 2, Anna Bellcock 0-1 0-0 0, Kylie Robinson 2-2 0-0 5. Totals: 32-82 9-18 81.

Bellevue Marquette — Macey Kremer 4-9 4-7 12, Miranda Peters 2-6 1-2 5, Lizzy Parker 2-7 1-4 5, Teona Richman 4-10 1-1 9, Tori Michel 7-9 3-5 10, Beatrice Kemp 0-0 0-0 0, Delaney Banowetz 0-0 0-0 0, Halle Kilburg 1-1 0-0 2, Emma Callaghan 0-1 0-0 0, Ellie O’Brien 2-2 0-0 4, Holly Kremer 1-1 0-0 2. Totals: 23-46 10-19 56.

Quarter scores: N-F led 17-14, 46-28, 66-39. Three-point goals: Newell-Fonda 8-25 (Emma Stewart 2-2, Morenz 1-1, Olivia Larsen 1-2, Ella Larsen 0-3, Sophie Stewart 0-2, Macy Sievers 0-1, Walker 1-2, Roberts 0-1, Lago 0-1, Bellcock 0-1, Robinson 1-1); Bellevue Marquette 0-2 (Parker 0-1, Richman 0-1); Total rebounds: Newell-Fonda 36, Marquette 46; Turnovers: Newell-Fonda 11, Marquette 39. Total fouls: Newell-Fonda 19, Maruqette 13.

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