Raiderettes clinch share of POI title
The Mount Ayr girl’s basketball team clinched at least a share of the 2024-25 Pride of Iowa Conference title last week with a 70-22 win at home.
The game was the last regular season home game for the Raiderettes and what a memory they leave with their fans. Mount Ayr did not lose a POI game at home this year and has a conference record of 13-1 going into this week’s games at Central Decatur on Tuesday, February 4, and at East Union on Friday.
A win in one of those two games gives the outright title to Mount Ayr.
“It’s been a few years,” said Mount Ayr head coach Thad Streit. “We have had some good Martensdale-St. Mary’s and Nodaway Valley teams that we have battled the last few years, but have come up short. This year, we have played well and hopefully, in a week, we are talking about a conference championship,” he said.
Entering the week, the Raiderettes are 13-1 followed by Martensdale-St. Mary’s and Lenox with three losses each. Nodaway Valley never really factored in the POI race this year as they are tied with CD and Wayne at 7-7 in fourth place.
The Raiderettes have won two straight over the Cardinals, including a 61-45 win at home back on January 13. The two schools have ping-ponged wins in the past seven of eight meetings, with Mount Ayr holding a 5-4 edge over the last nine meetings since the 2019 season.
The home win against SE Warren gave the season series to Mount Ayr and helped erase the sting of their first loss of the season on January 28 at Lenox.
Against the War Hawks, all three Raiderette seniors scored points. Breya Nickle had 17 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Jaxy Knight had 8 points, a team-high 6 steals, 4 assists, and a pair of three-pointers. Allison Anderson made her only basket in the game for 2 points. Izzy Gilbertson led all scorers with 18 points and added 12 rebounds for a double-double. She also had three assists. Dannie Stewart and Emma Reynolds added 9 and 8 points. Stewart led in assists with 6.
Mount Ayr led 18-6 after the first quarter and extended their lead to 34-12 at halftime. The Raiderettes slammed the door on a comeback attempt in the third quarter, using a 22-5 run to activate the 35-point mercy running clock, leading 46-17 after three quarters.
The Raiderettes got to Friday’s game at home bringing into the game their first loss of the season.
Mount Ayr lost by ten points, 60-50 at Lenox on January 28, snapping a 17-game win streak to begin the season. The Tigers have been on a roll themselves, beating Martensdale-St. Mary’s came into the game on a five-game win streak. After the game, the Tigers entered the Class 1A rankings for the first time this season. The win also snapped a five-game win streak by Mount Ayr over the Tigers.
The two teams were tied at 15 after the first quarter, but a 19-9 second-quarter run by Lenox gave them a 10-point, 34-24 halftime lead.
Another run of 14-9 in the third quarter gave the Tigers their biggest lead, 48-33 going to the final quarter. The Raiderettes scored the most points in the game in any quarter in the fourth, putting up 17 points, but it wasn’t enough.
Mount Ayr was led by Izzy Gilbertson with 21 points and 11 rebounds. Jaxy Knight added 17 points and made three, three-point baskets. MaKel Jones added 4 points. The Tigers were led by a pair of seniors is Zoey Reed with 24 points and Saide Cox with 12 points and 19 rebounds. Izzy Curtis added 7 rebounds.
Mount Ayr remained in the top-10 in the latest Class 1A state rankings after the loss. The Raiderettes fell from No. 6 to No. 9.
Mount Ayr 70, SE Warren 22
January 31
At Mount Ayr
1 2 3 4 Final
SEW 6 6 5 5 22
MA 18 16 22 14 70
SEW (22): n/a.
MOUNT AYR (70): Dannie Stewart 4-7 0-0 9, Breya Nickle 5-11 5-5 17, Jaxy Knight 3-5 0-0 8, Izzy Gilbertson 7-11 4-4 18, Allison Anderson 1-1 0-0 2, Abby Larson 0-1 0-0 0, Emma Reynolds 4-6 0-1 8, Jaylee Shaffer 1-4 0-0 2, MaKel Jones 0-2 2-2 2, Tatum Friedrich 0-2 0-0 0, Keely Wasteney 2-2 0-0 4. Totals: 27-52 11-12 70.
3-Pt. FG: 5-13 (Knight 2-4, Nickle 2-2, Stewart 1-2, Shaffer 0-3, Jones 0-1, Larson 0-1). Rebounds: 33 (Gilbertson 12, Nickle 6, Stewart 4, Jones 3, Friedrich 2, Larson 2, Wasteney 1, Shaffer 1, Reynolds 1, Knight 1). Assists: 23 (Stewart 6, Knight 4, Gilbertson 3, Larson 3, Nickle 2, Jones 2, Friedrich 1, Shaffer 1, Reynolds 1). Steals: 17 (Knight 6, Larson 3, Reynolds 3, Nickle 2, Stewart 1, Gilbertson 1, Jones 1). Blocked Shots: 3 (Nickle 1, Gilbertson 1, Jones 1). Turnovers: 13. Total Fouls: 13. Fouled Out: none.
Lenox 60, Mount Ayr 50
January 28
At Lenox
1 2 3 4 Final
MA 15 9 9 17 50
L 15 19 14 12 60
MOUNT AYR (50): Jaylee Shaffer 1-9 0-0 3, Dannie Stewart 1-8 0-0 2, Breya Nickle 1-15 0-0 3, Jaxy Knight 7-18 0-0 17, Izzy Gilbertson 7-16 7-10 21, Abby Larson 0-2 0-0 0, MaKel Jones 2-3 0-0 4, Keely Wasteney 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 19-70 7-10 50.
LENOX (60): Zoe Reed 6-14 10-11 24, Delaney Funk 3-5 0-0 6, Izzy Curtis 3-8 0-2 7, Bentley Petersen 0-0 0-0 0, Sadie Cox 4-11 3-4 12, Piper Browkaw 2-3 0-0 6, Reese Reed 1-4 2-2 5. Totals: 19-45 15-19 60.
3-Pt. FG: MA 5-25 (Knight 3-12, Nickle 1-7, Shaffer 1-5, Jones 0-1), Lenox 7-13 (Reed 2-4, Brokaw 2-3, Cox 1-2, Reed 1-2, Curtis 1-2). Rebounds: MA 33 (Gilbertson 11, Nickle 6, Shaffer 5, Knight 5, Stewart 3, Larson 1, Jones 1, Wasteney 1), Lenox 32 (Cox 19). Assists: 13 (Shaffer 5, Stewart 4, Knight 3, Larson 1), Lenox 9 (Reese Reed 3, Zoey Reed 3). Steals: MA 8 (Jones 3, Gilbertson 2, Knight 1, Nickle 1, Stewart 1), Lenox 4 (4 with 1 each). Blocked Shots: MA 3 (3 with 1 each), Lenox 6 (Cox 6). Turnovers: MA 8, Lenox 14. Total Fouls: MA 17, Lenox 15. Fouled Out: Knight, Gilbertson.
