Iowa’s Sharpshooters

Prep Girls Hoops Kansas Scouting Report

Hayes Gardner

January 23, 2019 @ 06:29 PM

Winter weather has cancelled school and high school games across parts of the state this past week, so why not warm up with some hot shooting? Across all classes, there are 10 girls in Iowa who have hit at least 50 (!!) 3-pointers this year. Let’s take a look at each of these sharpshooters:   Maya Johnson, Mediapolis senior No one is shooting 3-pointers like Maya Johnson. Just as she did last year, she is leading Iowa in 3-point makes (86) and attempts (180). But she’s not just a standout of the 2018-19 high school season, the 5-foot-8 senior is shooting her way up the record books. She now has 307 career longballs, good enough for fourth in state history. She won’t be able to catch Pocohantas Area legend Elly Ruffridge, who comfortably set the record at 466 two years ago, but Johnson should be able to finish in the state’s top three all time.   Grace Flanagan, North Linn junior Flanagan is knocking down exactly four 3-pointers a game and has hit 60 total this season, shooting 41.7 from deep. She also has the highest free throw percentage of anyone on this list, sinking 91.2 percent of her tries. North Linn is a perfect 13-0 and ranked No. 9 in Class 2A, thanks, in no small part, to Flanagan’s 19.8 points per game.   Suzanna Yoder, Iowa Mennonite School, Kalona senior Yoder has knocked down 56 of her 172 attempts to lead her team in scoring. In fact, she trails only Dowling Catholic’s Caitlin Clark in points per game, as Yoder is scoring 26.3 per contest. She’s scoring an incredible 59.3 percent of her team’s points this season.   Samantha Brown, Glidden Ralston senior Brown, a 5-foot-8 senior, is a true 3-point shooter. She’s hit 52 treys this year (on 143 attempts) compared to just 17 2-pointers.   Justine Malenke, Unity Christian senior Like Brown, Malenke really prefers the arc. She’s only hit nine 2-pointers this year… but has sunk 52 treys. Unlike others on this list, the 5-foot-9 senior is not leading her team in scoring; she’s third.   Caroline Waite, Ames sophomore A diminutive point guard, Waite has done plenty of damage on the perimeter this year, particularly off the dribble. She leads 5A with 51 treys (on 121 attempts), and has already surpassed her total from last year (45).   Maggie Phipps, North Polk sophomore The only only sophomore with 50 triples this year is 5-foot-10 Phipps. She’s connected on 51 of 129 3-point tries and is averaging 20.1 points per game for the No. 1 team in 3A.   Allison Schubert, Council Bluffs, Thomas Jefferson junior Schubert is sinking threes for Thomas Jefferson this season, with 50 makes to her name. She’s leading TJ with 16.1 points per game.   Kayba Laube, Marion junior Not only is Laube knocking down triples, she’s doing it efficiently. The Northern Iowa commit has knocked down 50 triples on 103 attempts, good enough for 48.5 percent — highest on this list. Marion is No. 1 in 4A undefeated — including a 86-8 win over Independence on Monday (yikes) — and has only been played closely once. That came early this season against 5A’s No. 4 team, Prairie, Cedar Rapids. As a whole, Marion is tough to guard, with five players scoring at least 7.5 per game, but if teams leave Laube remotely close on the perimeter, she’ll knock it down.   Kennedy Wallace, Regina, Iowa City senior Wallace has made 50 of 153 3-point attempts this year, and has also been strong at the line, shooting 90.6 percent.