Back from the break: A 2025-26 post-holiday girls basketball reset

The list is short. Just a duo.

Clear Creek Amana. And Maquoketa Valley.

The Clippers and the Wildcats are the only area girls basketball teams to have reached the holiday break with spotless records.

Both are 7-0.

CCA got here behind the guard tandem of Averie Lower and Lena Evans (combined 42.7 ppg), who helped lead the Clippers to the Class 4A state championship in 2024. CCA has hit 60 points or more on six occasions, and has quality wins over Iowa City West, Iowa City Liberty, Solon and Williamsburg, all by double-digits.

Maquoketa Valley, meanwhile, is driven by defense. The Wildcats are allowing 31.1 points per game, fifth-best in Class 2A. This team can score, too, hitting at a 59.6-point clip. Sophomore Audra Burbridge averages 21.0 points per game, while senior post Grace Richter adds 18.9 ppg and shoots an efficient 61 percent from the floor.

The season resumes with a handful of games Friday, a larger clump Saturday, then back to full business next week.

A recap of the area races:

MVC Mississippi Division

Overview: You can label 10 of the 15 MVC teams as “good” to “very good,” depending on the night. That includes all three Iowa City public schools, and two of them are in this division. Division leader Iowa City West (6-3, 3-0) visits Iowa City Liberty (6-3, 2-1) in a non-counting game Jan. 6, then the rematch Jan. 30 at North Liberty will go a long way toward determining the champion. Cedar Rapids Xavier (4-4, 2-1) will try to snap a two-game skid Friday, when it hosts Cedar Falls.

Midseason player of the year: Natalie Ramsey, sr., Iowa City Liberty.

Preseason top three: 1. Iowa City Liberty, 2. Iowa City West, 3. Cedar Rapids Xavier.

Midseason top three: 1. Iowa City Liberty, 2. Iowa City West, 3. Cedar Rapids Xavier.

MVC Valley Division

Overview: Three teams remain untouched in league play, and that includes Cedar Rapids Washington (4-2, 2-0), which has rattled off four straight wins since the return of Samantha Becker from injury. The Warriors open post-holiday action Saturday at Mississippi Division leader Iowa City West. Iowa City High (7-2, 3-0) and Cedar Falls (6-2, 3-0) are the other conference unbeatens, and it would be silly to discount Waterloo West (6-2, 2-1), Dubuque Wahlert (4-1, 1-1) and defending champion Cedar Rapids Prairie (5-3, 1-2).

Midseason player of the year: Samantha Becker, sr., Cedar Rapids Washington.

Preseason top three: 1. Cedar Rapids Prairie, 2. Dubuque Wahlert, 3. Cedar Rapids Washington.

Midseason top three: 1. Cedar Rapids Washington, 2. Cedar Falls, 3. Iowa City High.

Wamac East Division

Overview: Four divisional games are recorded, and all four have been decided by 10 points or less. Expect more of the same throughout the rest of the campaign. The defending 3A state champion, Mount Vernon (7-2, 1-0) is picking up steam, winning its last five games, and the Mustangs will get even better once Taylor Franck returns from injury. But potential potholes litter the remainder of their divisional run. All four of their East Division foes are capable of springing an upset, particularly Solon (4-2, 1-1).

Midseason player of the year: Savanna Wright, soph., Mount Vernon.

Preseason top three: 1. Mount Vernon, 2. Solon, 3. Marion.

Midseason top three: 1. Mount Vernon, 2. Solon, 3. Center Point-Urbana.

Wamac West Division

Overview: More than any team in the area, Clear Creek Amana has that vibe of a potential state-championship contender. The Clippers (7-0, 2-0) score at a robust 68.3-point rate, and they can defend, too, as their 43-26 win over Iowa City Liberty indicates. CCA has a 60-48 victory over Williamsburg (5-2, 1-1) in its pocket, and hosts the rematch Jan. 27. These two teams are significantly ahead of the other four in the division, but credit South Tama (3-3, 1-1) for reigniting its program after six seasons in the wilderness.

Midseason player of the year: Averie Lower, sr., Clear Creek Amana.

Preseason top three: 1. Clear Creek Amana, 2. Williamsburg, 3. Grinnell.

Midseason top three: 1. Clear Creek Amana, 2. Williamsburg, 3. Grinnell.

River Valley North Division

Overview: In a year in which it could have breezed to a 21-0 regular season, credit Maquoketa (6-2, 3-0) for beefing up its non-conference schedule. The Cardinals’ losses have come against 5A foes Iowa City High and Iowa City Liberty, and among their wins are triumphs over Olathe (Kan.) West and Norwalk. Their two biggest divisional challenges come right after break, road tests against Bellevue (8-1, 3-0) and Cascade (5-2, 3-0) on Jan. 6 and Jan. 9. This is a senior-laden group with big dreams come March.

Midseason player of the year: Cora Widel, sr., Maquoketa.

Preseason top three: 1. Maquoketa, 2. Cascade, 3. Camanche.

Midseason top three: 1. Maquoketa, 2. Cascade, 3. Bellevue.

River Valley South Division

Overview: A wide gulf exists between the contenders and the others. Tipton (7-1, 3-0) fired the first major shot in the race, a 58-49 home win over Iowa City Regina (7-2, 2-1). The Tigers are in pursuit of their first conference title since 2009. Mid-Prairie (5-1, 3-0) faces a tough early-January schedule which features road trips to Alburnett (5-2, 2-0), Regina and Tipton (plus a road trip to Solon and a home date with Williamsburg). Alburnett has showed promise in its first year in the RVC.

Midseason player of the year: Addie McLaughlin, soph., Iowa City Regina.

Preseason top three: 1. Tipton, 2. Iowa City Regina, 3. Mid-Prairie.

Midseason top three: 1. Tipton, 2. Iowa City Regina, 3. Mid-Prairie.

Tri-Rivers East Division

Overview: Two close games have shaped this race so far, and Lisbon (5-4, 4-1) was involved in both of them. The Lions outlasted Calamus-Wheatland (6-2, 4-1) in overtime at home Dec. 5, then dropped a 51-49 nail-biter at Bellevue Marquette (4-2, 4-0) 11 days later. Those three teams will haggle over the title the rest of the way, and if it turns out to be Lisbon, it will be the school’s first league crown during the five-player era.

Midseason player of the year: Katie Hein, sr., Calamus-Wheatland.

Preseason top three: 1. Calamus-Wheatland, 2. Lisbon, 3. Bellevue Marquette.

Midseason top three: 1. Bellevue Marquette, 2. Lisbon, 3. Calamus-Wheatland.

Tri-Rivers West Division

Overview: Hoping for some clarity here when Maquoketa Valley (7-0, 2-0) was scheduled to visit Springville (6-1, 2-0) on Dec. 11, but that game was postponed; the makeup date is Jan. 15 with a rematch at Delhi on Jan. 27. With Alburnett now in the River Valley Conference, and Central City and Starmont not fielding varsity teams this winter, this is a five-team division. It’s not a stretch to say the five best teams in the overall Tri-Rivers reside here. Don’t pity North Linn (1-5, 1-2) in a rare down year; the Lynx will be back ... soon.

Midseason player of the year: Rowan Jacobi, sr., Springville.

Preseason top three: 1. Springville, 2. Maquoketa Valley, 3. Edgewood-Colesburg.

Midseason top three: 1. (tie) Maquoketa Valley and Springville, 3. Edgewood-Colesburg.

South Iowa Cedar

Overview: Gone are divisions in what is now an 11-team field, but the powers that be are the same as the powers that were. That’s the trio of Lynnville-Sully (9-0, 7-0), Montezuma (6-1, 5-0) and North Mahaska (4-3, 4-2). With only one meeting this season, it’s likely that L-S and Monte will fight for the championship Jan. 13 at Montezuma. Despite a three-game losing streak, Keota (6-3, 4-3) appears to be on a path for its first winning season since 2013-14.

Midseason player of the year: Brynn Clarahan, soph., Sigourney.

Preseason top three: 1. Lynnville-Sully, 2. English Valleys, 3. Montezuma.

Midseason top three: 1. Lynnville-Sully, 2. Montezuma, 3. North Mahaska.

Upper Iowa Large Division

Overview: If you like MFL MarMac now, just wait a couple of years. The Bulldogs (6-3, 4-2) are part of a three-team logjam atop the division, along with Waukon (6-2, 5-1) and South Winneshiek (6-3, 5-2). Both of MFL-MM’s top two scorers (Olivia Driscoll and Bailey Winter) are freshmen. Waukon is the best of the three newcomers from the Northeast Iowa Conference, while South Winn has a win over MFL-MM and has a fighting chance to claim its first five-player conference title.

Midseason player of the year: Olivia Driscoll, fr., MFL MarMac.

Preseason top three: 1. MFL MarMac, 2. North Fayette Valley, 3. Crestwood.

Midseason top three: 1. MFL MarMac, 2. Waukon, 3. South Winneshiek.

Upper Iowa Small Division

Overview: Turkey Valley (6-1, 6-0) has established itself as the best team in the conference, regardless of division. The Trojans picked up a road win over preseason favorite Lansing Kee (5-4, 4-2) on Dec. 2, and also have notched double-digit wins over Large School contenders South Winneshiek and MFL MarMac. If the Trojans can get past Kee High at home Jan. 23, it should be smooth sailing to a divisional title.

Midseason player of the year: Addison Winters, sr., Lansing Kee

Preseason top three: 1. Lansing Kee, 2. Turkey Valley, 3. Elkader Central.

Midseason top three: 1. Turkey Valley, 2. Lansing Kee, 3. Elkader Central.

Other area highlights ...

* Highland (8-1 overall, 6-0 SEISC North) has won eight consecutive games since a season-opening loss to Keota and holds a one-game lead in its division over second-place Louisa-Muscatine.

* Jesup (6-2 overall, 5-1 NICL) is one of five teams in that conference with one league loss or less. Denver and Gladbrook-Reinbeck are unbeaten in conference play.

* Meskwaki (5-2 overall, 4-1 Iowa Star South) is tied for first place in its division and will try to avenge its lone league loss when it hosts Baxter on Jan. 16.

* Washington (5-2 overall, 2-1 Southeast) is part of a four-team battle in that conference. Keokuk is 3-0, with the Demons tied for second with Burlington and Fort Madison.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com