DES MOINES – Postseason contests are generally confetti and heartbreak games. No. 4 North Mahaska’s state tourney run went by the wayside Tuesday in the quarterfinals to fifth-seeded Central Lyon, 59-34.
The loss saw the end of high school careers for six seniors who qualified for state as freshmen then returned as seniors. The Warhawks end the season 22-3.
Entering Tuesday’s game NM coach L.E. Moore knew his team was going to have to battle in the paint with an overall taller Central Lyon squad. Central Lyon’s Aubrey Metzger, 6-foot 2-inch dominated inside with 18 points and 12 rebounds. The Northwestern College bound Metzger was a force inside altering shots and blocking five more. Four teammates scored at least six points to power the Lions. Metzger made her first seven shots, all on putbacks or layups, and finished 7-for-10 from the field.
The Lions held a 43-21 rebounding advantage over North Mahaska including 17 offensive boards for second chance opportunities, which resulted in 21 of their 59 points. Turnovers were nearly the same with North Mahaska with 14 and the Lions with 13.
“Big rebounding,” said NM coach L.E. Moore. “They did a nice job of blocking us out. Turnovers wasn’t bad but we couldn’t get the second shot off a rebound.”
Central Lyon (20-4) took an 8-0 lead until senior Breckyn Schilling scored on a layup with 6 minutes 24 seconds to play in the first quarter. Another senior Sydney Andersen blocked a shot and then scored on the other end to cut the lead in half. Central Lyon went on to lead 18-9 at the first break and outscored the Warhawks by one more in the second to lead 31-21 at intermission.
“We started out slow, we got punched in the mouth,” said senior Schilling. “We didn’t expect that. We got down and quick and made it hard to come back in this environment and they kept going and when they were on a roll, and we just didn’t on a roll until much too late.
“They made their shots and that’s what it came down to, they made their shots, and we had a bit of hard time getting ours going.”
NM seniors Regan Grewe and Andersen were battling with Metzger and her taller teammates for the boards.
“With a 6-2 girl inside they had an advantage and trying to push her out of the way and get the rebounds was hard, but we tried,” said Grewe.
Grewe and Schilling each finished with nine points. Grewe scored seven in the third quarter after being held scoreless in the first half. Andersen finished with seven, senior Peyton Sanders scored three and junior Aly Steil, senior Kayla Readshaw and sophomore Nataliya Linder finished with two apiece. Linder, Steil and Schilling each blocked a shot.
North Mahaska was held to just a single basket by Grewe in the fourth quarter as the Warhawks were held scoreless the final 7:34 of the game.
“The press bothered us in the fourth quarter and we got mixed up a bit,” said Moore. “You live with that. They are a good team. We played hard. We got behind the eight ball to start with and you can’t do that up here. We continued to work hard.
“They never quit. That is what I am so proud about this sent of senior girls. They are great kids and have been together since third or fourth grade. I’m glad they got to end it hear at the state tournament. That is what we wanted to do. We did that but it is so difficult at state because they are all good teams.”
Schilling and Grewe reflected briefly on their four years and two state appearances.
“The first time I came here I played with my sister and when you interviewed me, I could hardly put a sentence together. I was just so upset. The last four years have been a joy and I’m glad I got to do it with these girls.”
Grewe added, “We worked our butts off since freshman year to get here and to end here is good, just not the way we wanted.”
Central Lyon is in the semifinals for the third time in four years. The Lions lost in the state championship game in 2022 and 2023 and were eliminated in the opening round last year. They will face top-ranked Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont Friday at 10 a.m., a team North Mahaska lost to 49-40 in January.
