The Van Buren County girls basketball team completed a rare three-game season sweep of Columbus on Saturday, February 14th, defeating the Wildcats 58-45 in the first round of the Class 2A Region 8 Substate Tournament.
The victory marked the third time in less than a month that Van Buren County faced and defeated Columbus, with the teams meeting at three different venues. Van Buren County won the first matchup 47-41 at Columbus on January 19th in a regular season game, then defeated the Wildcats 62-37 at Louisa-Muscatine on February 5th in the Southeast Iowa Super Conference Shootout, where both teams were four seeds in their respective divisions. Saturday’s home victory completed the unique trifecta of wins at home, away, and at a neutral site against the same opponent.
Game Breakdown
Columbus opened strong, taking a 14-13 lead after the first quarter. However, Van Buren County seized control in the second quarter, outscoring the Wildcats 16-9 to take a 29-23 halftime advantage despite star Adalyn Snowgren picking up her third foul.
The third quarter proved decisive as Van Buren County exploded for 20 points while holding Columbus to minimal offensive production. The Wildcats managed just two points until hitting a three-pointer at the 3:44 mark, by which time Van Buren County had extended the lead to 36-28. The Warriors led 49-37 heading into the fourth quarter with a commanding 12-point cushion.
Van Buren County maintained control in the final period to secure the 58-45 victory.
Van Buren County Stats
Adalyn Snowgren paced Van Buren County with 20 points (10 in each half), seven rebounds, four assists, and two steals despite the early foul trouble. Sophia Jirak added 13 points (eight in the second half), three rebounds, two assists, and two steals, while Marlee Mertens contributed 12 points, one rebound, and four steals. Daphny Wells dominated the boards with 12 rebounds to go along with five points, one assist, one steal, and one block. Kayley Snowgren distributed four assists while adding three rebounds and three steals.
Off the bench, Elli Daugherty provided six points, one rebound, and one steal, while Aubrey Loeffler chipped in two points, two rebounds, and one assist. Ava Loeffler also saw action.
Isabel Rendon led Columbus with 13 points.
Team Statistics
Van Buren County shot 20-of-57 from the field, 7-of-27 from three-point range, and 11-of-16 from the free-throw line. The Warriors grabbed 29 rebounds, dished out 12 assists, recorded 13 steals, and one block while committing 15 fouls and 11 turnovers.
Columbus shot 18-of-48 from the field, 5-of-18 from three-point range, and 4-of-8 from the free-throw line. The Wildcats pulled down 35 rebounds, distributed nine assists, recorded four steals, and one block while committing 13 fouls and 19 turnovers.
Coach’s Comments
Van Buren County head coach Randy Smith acknowledged the difficulty of beating the same team three times while praising his team’s performance.
“Tough to beat a team three times. We just were patient against whatever defensive sets they tried,” Smith said. “Our press hurt them a little bit and we were able to put together a couple of scoring runs. It was great to get Sophia and Marlee a win in their last home game. They both played well and Adalyn again had an all-around great game.”
Looking ahead to the next round, Smith knows his team will face a stiff challenge.
“Regina is a really good team so we will need to play at our best to have a chance to advance,” he said.
What’s Next
Van Buren County improves to 15-7 and advances to face eighth-ranked Regina Catholic (16-5) on the road on Tuesday, February 17th. Columbus finishes its season at 11-11.
Photography courtesy of Jaime Moquin.
