Iowa high school girls basketball top stars, best performances (3/3/2024)

Here are some stars from the past week's Iowa high school girls basketball state tournament games. 

Bliss Beck, Clear Creek-Amana 

Beck, who will play volleyball at Drake University, scored 11 points on 5 of 8 shooting, to go along with eight rebounds and six blocked shots in the unbeaten Clippers’ 43-25 win over Waverly-Shell Rock in the Class 4A title game. Beck’s defense was also critical, as the all-tournament selection helped hold Waverly-Shell Rock’s post players to a combined 11 points on 4-for-29 shooting.

Maryn Bixby, Dike-New Hartford

Bixby had eight points, three rebounds, two assists and three steals for the Wolverines in a 48-46 win over Panorama in the Class 2A state title game. Bixby was third in 2A scoring with 44 points as D-NH won its fourth straight championship. She also combined for nine assists and nine steals.

Tyme Boettcher, Panorama

Boettcher finished with 13 points and six rebounds for the Panthers in a narrow loss to Dike-New Hartford in the Class 2A title game. Boettcher combined for 33 points (seven 3-pointers), 24 rebounds and four blocked shots in three tournament games.

Macy Boge, North Linn

Boge was named captain of the Class 1A all-tournament team after the Lynx beat Newell-Fonda, 67-51, in the championship game. She finished with 17 points in the title game and led 1A scorers with 49 points to go along with 10 steals and 10 assists.

Molly Boge, North Linn

The 5-8 junior earned Class 1A all-tournament honors, helping the Lynx capture their second state title with a 67-51 win over Newell-Fonda. In three tournament games, Molly had 35 points, hit a 1A high eight 3-pointers, had 10 steals and dished out nine assists.

Divine Bourrage, Davenport North

In her only state tournament game, the talented junior had 24 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four steals in a 71-65 quarterfinal loss to Cedar Falls. Bourrage was named to the 5A all-tournament team.

Morgan Christian, Sioux Central

A member of the Class 2A state all-tournament team, Christian had 26 points, 12 assists and 11 steals, helping the Rebels reach a semifinal in their first-ever trip to the state tournament.

Katelyn Eggena, Waverly-Shell Rock

Eggena made the Class 4A state all-tournament team, helping the Go-Hawks reach the title game before falling to Clear Creek-Amana. The 6-1 senior finished with 41 points in three tournament games, an average of 13.7 per contest.

Abby Hall, Des Moines Christian

Hall made the Class 3A state all-tournament team, scoring 26 points in two games. She had 17 in the quarterfinals against Benton and the Lions reached a semifinal, falling to eventual champion Solon.

Kierra Jungers, Newell-Fonda

The senior had a team-high 17 points for the Mustangs in a 67-51 loss to North Linn in the Class 1A state championship game. Jungers was second in 1A scoring with 46 points, making 21 of 37 shots to earn all-tournament honors while playing in her fourth straight state tourney.

Grace Knutson, Cedar Falls

The Drake University recruit earned Class 5A all-state-tournament team honors. Knutson was third in the 5A field with 54 points in two games, including 34 in a first-round win over Davenport North.

Kamryn Kurt, North Linn

Kurt tossed in a team-high 23 points for the Lynx, who won the Class 1A state title with a 67-51 victory over Newell-Fonda. She made 9 of 13 shots, handed out seven assists, made four steals and grabbed three rebounds. Kurt had 44 points to earn all-tournament honors.

Callie Levin, Solon

University of Iowa recruit Levin scored 27 points as the Spartans captured the Class 3A state championship with a 54-47 victory over Estherville-Lincoln Central. Levin had 56 points in three tournament games, finishing second behind record-setter Haylee Stokes of Estherville-Lincoln Central.

Jenica Lewis, Johnston

Lewis, a sophomore, was named captain of the Class 5A state all-tournament team. She scored 20 points as the Dragons won their third state title in the last five seasons with a 48-36 victory over West Des Moines Dowling. In the title game, Lewis made 5 of 11 3-pointers, while adding three rebounds, three steals and block and an assist. Lewis scored 60 points in three state tournament games and Johnston finished 26-0.

Ava Locklear, Clear Creek-Amana

The 5-11 senior grabbed 19 rebounds to tie the Class 4A single-game record as the Clippers won their first state tile with a 43-25 victory over Waverly-Shell Rock. Locklear also scored 11 points, handed out three assists and blocked four shots and was named captain of the all-tournament team. Locklear finished the state tournament with a record 43 rebounds. She came within one assist of a triple-double in a quarterfinal win over Gilbert.

Averie Lower, Clear Creek-Amana

The sophomore scored a team-high 19 points in the Class 4A state title game. Lower shot 4-for-7 from 3-point range, grabbed four rebounds and had four steals, finishing with a 4A high 50 points in three games to earn all-tournament honors.

Chloe Meester, Mount Vernon

The 6-2 junior landed on the Class 3A state all-tournament team after the Mustangs advanced to a semifinal. Meester made 8 of 12 shots in two tournament games, scoring 20 points while grabbing 18 rebounds and recording a 3A high five blocked shots.

Ellie Muller, West Des Moines Dowling

Muller was named to the Class 5A state all-tournament team. She was the leading rebounder in the 5A field with 30, an average of 10 per game, and scored 28 points in three games.

Jadyn Petersen, Dike-New Hartford

Petersen had seven points, nine rebounds, seven assists and two steals for the Wolverines in a 48-46 win over Panorama in the Class 2A state championship game. Jadyn and her twin sister Payton also helped the Wolverines win three straight state volleyball titles and post a four-year basketball record of 105-3 with four state championships.

Payton Petersen, Dike-New Hartford

Petersen led the way with 27 points and 14 rebounds as the Wolverines became just the second school in the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union era to win four straight state championships. Petersen was named captain of the Class 2A all-tournament team for the fourth straight season after D-NH clipped Panorama, 48-46, in the title game. Payton was also the state volleyball all-tournament captain three straight seasons.

Jaidyn Sellers, Panorama

Sellers, a state sprint champion who will play softball at Iowa, scored 20 points in the Class 2A state championship game and was named to the all-tournament team. Sellers was 9-for-14 from the field and added nine rebounds, nine steals and three blocked shots in a 48-46 loss to Dike-New Hartford. Sellers finished with 47 points, 28 rebounds, 19 steals and three blocks in three games.

Anna Quillin, Solon

Quillin, a 5-8 senior, set a Class 3A state tournament record with 40 rebounds in three games, helping the Spartans win the state title. Quillin grabbed 16 rebounds in the quarterfinal round, tying the 3A single-game mark.

McKenna Sievers, Newell-Fonda

The 5-5 senior finished with 15 points, five assists and three steals for the Mustangs in the Class 1A state championship game against North Linn. Sievers led 1A with 19 assists to go along with 37 points and 10 steals, making the all-tournament team

Melina Snoozy, Sioux City Bishop Heelan

Snoozy, only a freshman, was named to the Class 4A state all-tournament team. She finished with 35 points and eight steals, helping the Crusaders reach the semifinals.

Haylee Stokes, Estherville-Lincoln Central

The talented junior was named captain of the Class 3A state all-tournament team after setting a 3A record with 89 points in three tournament games. Stokes had 44 points in a quarterfinal win over Forest City and 30 in a 54-47 loss to Solon in the title game. She broke the old mark previously held by Elle Ruffridge of Pocahontas Area, the state’s all-time leading scorer.

Aili Tanke, Johnston

The Iowa State University signee scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the Class 5A state championship game, a 48-36 win over West Des Moines Dowling. The all-tournament selection finished with 44 points and 29 rebounds in three state tournament games.

Abby Tuttle, North Polk

Tuttle was named to the Class 4A state all-tournament team. The 5-8 junior scored 28 points in two tournament games and the Comets reached a semifinal.

Ava Underwood, Council Bluffs St. Albert

A Class 1A all-state tournament selection, Underwood had 13 points, 11 rebounds and five assists in a quarterfinal win over defending state champion Algona Garrigan in a quarterfinal and 23 points and 13 rebounds in a semifinal loss to eventual champion North Linn.

Rylee Yager, Estherville-Lincoln Central

The 5-9 junior helped the Midgets reach the Class 3A title game and was named to the all-tournament team. Yager scored 24 points and grabbed 25 rebounds in three tournament games.

Ava Zediker, West Des Moines Dowling

The junior, who has already committed to Creighton University, was named to the Class 5A state all-tournament team. In the championship game against Johnston, she scored 19 of her game-high 25 points in the second half. Zediker was the leading 5A scorer with 76 points in three games.

--Barry Poe | @SBLiveIA