Ellie Muller leads Dowling Catholic girls basketball past Iowa City West, to state
Led by mostly freshmen and sophomores, Dowling Catholic girls basketball eased its way past Iowa City West, 59-37, to earn a spot in next week's state tournament.
The Maroons, who are currently riding a 16-game winning streak, will face Davenport North (21-2) in the quarterfinal round Monday at Wells Fargo Arena.
“I thought we just played really well, especially defensively to hold West to 37 points,” said Dowling coach Kristin Meyer. “I think that our defense has been the backbone of this team, and we showed that tonight.”
West (16-7) struggled to get past the Maroons’ stingy defense, and the Trojans’ turnovers kept putting the ball back in Dowling's hands. The Maroons (19-4) led by 9 points after one and held a 32-20 lead at the end of the first half.
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It was a lead that never wavered, despite West’s best efforts. Meena Tate – the Trojans’ leading scorer averaging 14.8 points per game – led her team with 12 points. She scored 10 in the first half and then was held to just two free throws in the entire second half. Fincham added 9 points.
“She’s really long and she’s really good,” said Dowling guard Ava Zediker about taking on Tate. “She’s skilled, but I knew if I get her off the ball screen I can take her to the basket, and I have to be strong going up on the other end.”
Two young players led the way for Dowling. Ellie Muller scored 20 points in the Maroons win, and Zediker added 19 to send Dowling to the state tournament.
Dowling’s down low defense was a masterclass
There were times when West seemed to get lost in its own defense, giving some of Dowling’s sharpshooters the opportunity to further extend the Maroons’ lead.
But that was not the case for Dowling, which has been known for its defense this season.
“I don’t know how many blocks we had as a team, but it was a lot,” Meyer said. “If you’re not getting shots in the lane and we have a hand up on the outside shots, it makes it pretty tough to score. So, I thought the inside presence defensively and rebounding were really key for us tonight.”
Lauryn Frerichs and Muller put on a show in the paint. The duo blocked several West attempts with ease, and were frequently responsible for getting the ball back after defensive stops.
.It didn’t matter if it was a layup attempt or a jumper from space, the Maroons’ seemed to always have someone anticipating exactly what West would do.
Veteran game from a freshman
Zediker may be one of the bigger statewide names on Dowling’s roster, but it was Muller who stood out against West.
Not only was Muller a key part of the Maroons’ defensive strategy – and solely responsible for quite a few of those game-changing blocks – but she also led the team with her 20-point performance.
“I wish we would have gotten her the ball more,” Meyer said. “She was 9-for-9 from the field, a couple of free throws. But she has really come along to be a big inside presence both offensively and defensively for us.”
This Dowling program is incredibly young. If Muller, Zediker and their fellow underclassmen continue to play this way, the Maroons could be a difficult team to beat over the next few seasons.
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Dowling girls basketball tops Iowa City West, qualifies for state
