SPRINGVILLE

The reality of a steep challenge hit fast for the Highland Huskies in a 1A regional playoff matchup last Friday night.

The gym at Springville High School was packed. Standing room only.

The Orioles, ranked seventh in Iowa 1A girls basketball, had won eight straight games. They won their first tournament game by 32 points over Winfield-Mt. Union and had closed out a 17-4 regular season with a 98-point game against Iowa Valley.

Springville junior forward Rowan Jacobi, already an All Stater in basketball and volleyball who has verbaled a commitment to Summit Conference power South Dakota State, entered the game as the second-leading scorer in the state.

“We knew what we were facing coming in,” Highland head coach Jody Fink said.

One quarter in, the Huskies trailed, 18-2, as the home crowd roared.

From there, the Orioles put on a show that delighted its overflowing crowd. Jacobi scored a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds. She had 14 points in the first half when the Orioles cruised ahead, 34-7.

And as good as Springville’s offense was, the Orioles’ defense smothered Highland freshman Kamryn Fink and her teammates. Finding an open shot was difficult enough. Even getting the ball down the court through Springville’s pressure defense was a challenge. It turned into a basketball clinic.

“Their aggressive nature on defense, they’re doubling everything,” Jody Fink said.

Springville shut down Kamryn Fink, who was the second-leading freshman scorer in 1A this season. Fink was held scoreless for more than three quarters, finally scoring her only point on a free throw with 4:16 left in the game.

Katie Herrig, Highland’s only starting senior, led the Huskies with 5 points. Fink had a team-high 7 rebounds.

Springville’s pressure defense resulted in 24 Highland turnovers. And the Huskies were outrebounded, 41-22.

“Their size is just something we can’t replicate in practice,” Jody Fink said.

The Huskies did try. Prior to playing Springville, Highland’s boys basketball team was brought in for a practice in an attempt to replicate Springville’s size.

The loss ended a 17-8 season for the Huskies, their highest win total in nearly 10 years. The Huskies won their first four games and won two games in the 1A tournament.

“This is a great learning experience for them, the girls coming back,” Jody Fink said.

Kamryn Fink finished the season with 400 points and 363 rebounds. Her 51 3-pointers were just six short of Highland’s single-season record.

GAME STATS

SPRINGVILLE 61, HIGHLAND 17

Highland       2     5     4    6   --  17

Springville   18   16   20   7  --  61

Highland scoring: Katie Herrig 5, Emersyn Schultz 4, Katelyn Thomann 3, Hailey Brun 2, Autumn Guseman 2, Kamryn Fink 1.

Springville scoring: Rowan Jacobi 22, Addison Merritt 16, Lexi Dietiker 10, Renee Brecht 7, Abbi Hoyt 2, Ella Hoge 2, Kalleigh Greene 2.

Springville leading rebounders: Jacobi 12, Brecht 9, Greene 7.

Highland leading rebounders: Fink 7, Brun 5.