#1 Grundy Center Defense Stifles #6 AGWSR, Ackely!

Prep Girls Basketball was on display as 1A and 2A powers collide! This past Friday December 14 the #1 ranked team in 2A the Spartans of Grundy Center hosted the #6 ranked team in 1A AGWSR-Ackely Cougers. The Spartans were led by Minnesota State commit Senior Haley Wallis and Senior Kylie Willis. AGWSR, Ackley was led by their trio of Sophomore Alyssa Hames, Junior Rachel Sicard and Senior Aubrie Fisher. [caption id="attachment_21109" align="alignleft" width="300"] Photo courtesy of the Times Citizen[/caption] What I noticed about Grundy is that it was going to be Wallis early and often. Each possession down the floor you can guarantee she was going to get a touch and a shot attempt as the offense consistently flows through her. Early on the Cougers came out sharp with their game plan in tack, limit the Spartans possessions and slow down Wallis. Switching back and forth between multiple zones defenses, AGWSR had Wallis bottled up in the early going. The first period was definitely a chess match as the two teams gained their rhythms and felt each other out to a low score knotted up at 10 each after one. The second quarter was much of the same for the Cougers, keeping the offense of Grundy Center guessing as they came out switching to 2-3 zone and occasionally showing a 1-3-1. Shots weren’t falling for Grundy and their star was held in check for the most part. Going into the half the Cougers were only down one point at 16-15 with multiple girls contributing. Hames and Fisher both went into half with a couple of buckets each and with a lift off the bench from Junior Whitanie Nederhoff who chipped in with 6 first half points. The Cougers game plan was working very efficiently; limit possessions and you can limit shots. Half time adjustments will always tell the story and Wallis led her teammates right out the break with a 6-0 run of her own on back to back steals and a 12-3 run to start the 3^rd quarter. “We knew we weren’t playing our best and we needed to outwork them” “I was frustrated with my first half performance and I knew I needed to pick it up defensively” Wallis stated. The athleticism of the Spartans forced the pace of the game and the Cougers were struggling to keep up. [caption id="attachment_21107" align="alignright" width="200"] Photo courtesy of the Times Citizen[/caption] <span style="font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size: 16px;font-weight: 400">Wallis mentioned “Coming in we knew they were good but didn’t have a lot of depth, Coach stressed that at the half to push the tempo”. As Foul trouble began to mount up for the Cougers, the Spartans took control of the game outscoring their opponent 20-10 by the end of the 3</span><sup style="font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-weight: 400">r</sup><sup style="font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-weight: 400">d</sup><span style="font-family: Lato, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size: 16px;font-weight: 400"> frame.</span> How do you Stop Hailey Wallis and #1 ranked Grundy Center, a task thus far all 7 opponents have failed at. For sure matching up man to man would feed right into the Spartans hands. They play an up-tempo style full court game, wanting to get out and run. Wallis is a long rangy 5’9 combo guard/wing, that can get her shot from anywhere on the floor! Sharpening her skills this summer, she joined the All Iowa Attack program… “Attack really helped me out and prepared me for the next step to college, it’s really intense and they expect a lot out of you” Wallis noted.   She is the 6^th player in school history to hit the 1,000 career points mark and currently is pouring in 18ppg while shooting 40% from the 3 line. How far can the Spartans go this season will depend a lot on the supporting cast? Kylie Willis came in scoring 8ppg finished the night with 10pts as she went 6 for 6 from the charity strip. Post player Brooke Flater will need to stay on the floor out of foul trouble and the Spartans will have a shot at the crown! For the Cougers, off shooting nights from their trio could lead to losses in bunch. Sometimes keying in on the opponents stars can cause a team to lose its identity. Fisher and Hames combined on the night to go 2-14 from the field, while Sicard struggled with foul trouble in the second half. Wallis a 1^st Team All-Stater and 1^st Team All-Conference selection in the NICL, has signed on to play division 2 basketball with the Vikings up in Mankato. Coach Thiesse should be please and excited as they are getting a steal, as she definitely has mid-major talent. Currently sitting atop the poles in 2A, does Grundy Center have what it takes to win a State Title. If Wallis and Willis can provide the Spartans with an inside-out 1-2 punch night in and night out, then they most certainly can contend! AGWSR-Ackely has the right mix of talent and floor leadership to bounce back from this tough loss. Senior Point Guard Aubrey Fisher chips in 16ppg while shooting 38% from beyond the arc, Sophomore Alyssa Hames adds 11.5ppgs and grabbing almost 9 rebounds. Post player Rachel Sicard is the x-factor; if she can stay on the floor out of foul trouble the Cougers can make a surge toward the State Tournament. Up next for Grundy Center is a showdown Monday December 17 with Hampton-Dumont, whom they bested last year by double figures. For AGWSR-Ackley they will host South Hardin on Tuesday December 18, whom is yet to notch one in the win column.