(Des Moines) Nodaway Valley’s season came to a close Friday at the hands of #1 Maquoketa Valley. The 4th rated Wolverines rallied back from ten down in the 2nd half and tied the game with :45 remaining, but lost 47-45.
Two free-throws from Ella Imler with :06 left on the clock send Maquoketa Valley into the Class 2A State Championship on Saturday. The Wildcats were led by 19 points from Emerson Whittenbaugh on 8/12 shooting while Imler and Taya Tucker each scored 9. Nodaway Valley got a team high 15 points from Maddax DeVault and Lindsey Davis scored 11.
The Wolverines held the lead on a few occasions in the first, but trailed 16-12 after one. They used an 8-2 stretch late in the 1st and early in the 2nd to tie the game at 18. The teams traded baskets over the next handful of minutes and Maquoketa Valley snagged a 26-24 halftime edge.
The Wildcats pushed the lead to double figures early in the 3rd at 36-26, but Nodaway Valley wasn’t done. Macy Kuhns, Lexi Shike, Corinne Bond, and Annika Nelson combined for 15 second half points to get the Wolverines back in the game. A Kuhns three-point play was the loudest contribution from the supporting cast as it tied the game in the final minute.
Maquokota Valley was attempting to hang on for the final shot of regulation when Nodaway Valley reached in to try and create a jump ball, but got called for the foul. That put Imler to the line where the 73% foul shooter sank both attempts. Nodaway Valley called timeout and drew up a full court set to get a last second shot attempt off. The inbounds pass was deflected away, leaving the Wolverines with :04.5 to inbound in the front court on the sideline. They got the ball inbounded, but never got an attempt up before time expired.