Williamsburg muscles past Tipton 45-28, returns to the girls state basketball tournament

WILLIAMSBURG — If the sport was football, you would say with absolute certainty that this one was won in the trenches.

Fifth-ranked Williamsburg was quicker to the ball, simply physically stronger. Both attributes were difference-makers in a 45-28 Class 3A girls basketball regional-final victory over No. 11 Tipton on Saturday at Williamsburg High School.

“We’ve been working on defense all week,” senior Zoe Allen said. “Really working on boxing out and crashing the glass. And we wanted to push the ball.”

The tale of the game? Williamsburg (20-5) compiled 18 steals to one for the Tigers (21-3).

Turnovers: Raiders five, Tigers 23.

Just plain stronger. Tougher.

“That was definitely a concern coming in,” Tipton Coach Matt Bolger said. “They are very physical, and that’s not something we adjust to very well.

“Their girls were thicker, and stronger.”

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A state semifinalist last year, Williamsburg returns to that arena in Des Moines — now named Casey’s Center — and will face No. 4 Dubuque Wahlert (18-5) at 6:45 p.m. Monday, March 2.

It was Wahlert that knocked the Raiders out in the semis last season.

“We’ve been there. We know what it’s like,” said Williamsburg’s Channing Becker, who hit 3-of-5 attempts from long range and scored 11 points to complement Allen’s 17.

“We knew tonight that we had to be strong, and we were.”

Williamsburg led throughout, though Tipton made one push in the second quarter, carving an 11-4 deficit to 13-10.

But the Raiders scored seven in a row, led 23-12 at halftime and maintained a double-digit advantage the rest of the way.

The defining moment came late in the third quarter. At 30-17, Kylee Suhr made the first of two free throws and missed the second. Allen snagged the offensive rebound and located Kennedy Skaggs, who drained a 3-pointer.

Allen hit 8 of 15 shots from the field, including her second 3-pointer of the season.

“(Coach Stephanie Dacey) gave me the green light and said ‘If you’re feeling it, you’re feeling it,’” Allen said. “I let that shot rip, and it went in.

“With us, there’s no way you can guard just one player. We’re all shooters. We’re all drivers. We’re all athletes.”

Dacey said, “We don’t have six or seven basketball players. We have a couple of basketball players and some other kids that know how to win.”

Suhr made off with six steals; Becker had five.

Jordyn Schmidt led Tipton with 10 points. Zane Ehler grabbed 12 rebounds.

Williamsburg 45, Tipton 28

Class 3A Regional Final, at Williamsburg

TIPTON (28): Ella Hein 1-4 0-0 2, Averie Bolger 1-9 0-0 2, Paityn Daedlow 1-7 4-5 6, Zoe Holstein 1-2 2-2 4, Jordyn Schmidt 4-7 2-4 10, Zane Ehler 2-4 0-1 5, Lakyn Noard 0-0 0-0 0, Ayla Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Paige Thomas 0-0 0-0 0, Averi Jeffries 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 10-33 8-12 28.

WILLIAMSBURG (45): Channing Becker 4-9 0-0 11, Zoe Allen 8-15 0-1 17, Ava Hocker 1-8 0-2 2, Taylor Sanchez 2-5 0-0 6, Kennedy Skaggs 2-9 2-2 7, Kyle Suhr 0-6 1-2 1, Tenley Sanchez 0-2 1-2 1. Totals 17-54 4-9 45.

Tipton 4 8 5 11 — 28

Williamsburg 11 12 13 9 — 45

3-point goals: Tipton 0-13 (Hein 0-2, Bolger 0-7, Daedlow 0-4), Williamsburg 7-21 (Becker 3-5, Allen 1-2, Hocker 0-3, Tay. Sanchez 2-4, Skaggs 1-5, Ten. Sanchez 0-2). Team fouls: Tipton 13, Williamsburg 18. Fouled out: Tay. Sanchez. Rebounds: Tipton 36 (Ehler 12), Williamsburg 30 (Allen 7). Assists: Tipton 2 (Bolger, Schmidt), Williamsburg 10 (Hocker 4). Steals: Tipton 1 (Daedlow), Williamsburg 18 (Suhr 6). Turnovers: Tipton 23, Williamsburg 5.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com