If winning the opening game in the state girls basketball tournament was ground-breaking, then winning the
semi-final game against Martensdale-St. Mary's Wednesday night must be earth-shattering.
The Mount Ayr Community Raiderettes upset the only team that has defeated them this season in the semifinal round of
the girls Class 1A state tournament Wednesday by a score of 57-48.
Not only where the girls defeating the top ranked team in Class 1A, they were defeating the team that handed them
second place in the Pride of Iowa conference in the only loss the girls have had this year.
The battle Wednesday night looked nothing like the earlier game in Mount Ayr where the inside play of Mackenzie
MORRISON was balanced with a three-point shooting attack that added 15 points to the score. The Raiderettes were
able to hold MORRISON to just 12 points and keep the Martensdale-St. Mary's outside threat without a three all night.
Bailey MYER poured in 22 points and Jensen STEWART had a big night with 18 points for the Raiderettes in the game.
The Raiderettes will face
Exira in the Class 1A finals in a game at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines at 6 p.m. Friday, March 5.
The Raiderettes made history by winning the first opening game in the state tournament of any Mount Ayr team, boys
or girls, 54-45 Monday afternoon. The victory moved them on to the semi-final round against conference foe Martensdale-St.
Mary’s, the only team that has bested the girls this season.
2010 - Exira's Vikettes defeated Raiderettes, 57 - 55, Iowa 1A Title, March 5, 2010
Statistics from Des Moines Register State HS Girls Basketball Database
Muscatine Journal
Muscatine, Iowa
Friday, March 2010
EXIRA BEATS MOUNT AYR 57-55 TO WIN IOWA 1A TITLE
Ann WALKER's layup at the buzzer gave Exira a 57-55 victory over Mount Ayr on Friday night for the girls basketball
Class 1A championship.
WALKER scored after Mount Ayr tied the game at 55 on Tiffany WIMER's putback with 5 seconds left.
After a timeout, Exira's Courtney PEPPERS inbounded the ball to Chelsea NELSON at midcourt. NELSON then fired pass to
WALKER racing toward the basket. WALKER drove to the basket and banked in her game-winning shot, with the ball dancing
on the rim before falling through as the buzzer sounded.
Hallie CHRISTOFFERSON led second-ranked Exira (26-0) with 27 points and 17 rebounds. She finished with 92 points in the
tournament, the third-highest total in a five-player tournament. Becca PENNINGTON led No. 8 Mount Ayr (26-2) with 19
points.
Exira won its first state championship in its final year as a school. The Exira district will merge with Elk
Horn-Kimballton at the end of the current school year.
The ending made the school's last girls basketball game all the more memorable.
Exira appeared to have the victory in hand when CHRISTOFFERSON, who has signed with Iowa State, sank a free throw for a
55-51 lead with 22.1 seconds left.
PENNINGTON made two free throws to cut the lead to 55-53, then intercepted a CHRISTOFFERSON pass after Exira inbounded
the ball. PENNINGTON missed a driving layup, but WIMER grabbed the rebound and scored to tie it.
Exira, which committed 28 turnovers, then pulled off its game-winning inbounds play.
WALKER and Maddy PEPPERS each scored 13 points for Exira, which overcame its turnovers by shooting 56 percent and
out-rebounding Mount Ayr 31-27.
Bailey MEYER added 13 points and five steals for Mount Ayr, which had not won a state tournament game before this year.
WIMER finished with eight points and eight rebounds for the Raiderettes.
Photograph courtesy of Mount Ayr Record-News
Graceland University Honors Raiderettws
Graceland University from Lamoni honored the 2010 Mount Ayr Community Raideretts by presenting Coach Thad STREIT and the
team with a banner listing their accomplishments during this past season. Assistant women's basketball coach Brenna
BJORLAND congradulated the Raiderettes and present the banner to the squad Monday [March 29, 2010] at the Mount Ayr
Community high school. Each Raiderette also received a Graceland University t-shirt.
Mount Ayr Record-News, Thursday, April 1, 2010
Photograph courtesy of Mount Ayr Record-News
Coach Honored
Mount Ayr Community Raiderette basketball coach Thad STREIT was selected as the KAAN Girls Coach of the Year for 2010.
Coach STREIT guided Mount Ayr Community to a runner-up finish in the Class 1-A Iowa state basketball tournament
this season. The 26-2 won-lost record was the best ever by a Raiderette basketball team.
Mount Ayr Record-News, Thursday, April 1, 2010
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