DES MOINES, Iowa – Maquoketa coach Chad Specht built his team’s schedule with the postseason in mind and it seems to be paying off.
Toughened by games against Class 4A and 5A schools, the second-seeded Cardinals rolled past previously unbeaten Mediapolis 57-23 to move into the 3A semifinals. It was the first state tournament win for Maquoketa, which played at state for the first time last year and lost to Dallas Center-Grimes in the quarterfinals.
Maquoketa improved to 22-4 and will play again at 3:15 p.m. Thursday, facing either third-seeded Des Moines Christian or sixth-seeded Forest City. Those two will complete the 3A quarterfinal round at 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Three of Maquoketa’s losses this season came to 5A schools, and the other to 4A state tournament qualifier Central DeWitt. The Cardinals own a victory over another 4A tournament qualifier, third-seeded Norwalk, and they also beat 4A Solon, a regional finalist.
Those games have steeled the Cardinals for what they are facing now. They thumped their three regional opponents and then took Mediapolis completely out of what had been a high-powered offense.
Maquoketa’s quick hands produced 20 steals and forced 29 turnovers in all, which the Cardinals converted into 33 points. They held Mediapolis to 28 percent shooting (7-for-25) and outrebounded the Bulldogs 32-23. Eighteen of those rebounds came on the offensive end – again a product of their quickness – and led to 21 second-chance points.
Mediapolis came in averaging 67.1 points a game, tops in Class 3A this season. The Bulldogs’ previous low had been 49 points and only two of their 24 victories were closer than 19 points.
Aubrey Kroymann led Maquoketa with 19 points and she put up additional numbers across the board – seven rebounds, three steals, an assist and a block. Cora Widel added 11 points and Hadley Ihrig delivered 10 points and seven rebounds in 15 minutes off the bench.
Amelia Grier led Mediapolis with seven points. Grace Holsteen and Ellah Wagenbach each scored six.
Mediapolis was one of the state’s most successful programs in the six-player era and made 12 straight state tournament appearances during one span. This was the Bulldogs’ 24th trip to state and first since 2015.
