Instant analysis of Valley girls basketball's 59-48 win against Dowling Catholic
West Des Moines Valley and Dowling Catholic girls basketball matched up on Tuesday in the first game of a girls-boys doubleheader at Valley High School.
The Tigers came out on top, beating Dowling 59-48.
Valley jumped out to an early – albeit small – lead in the first quarter. The Tigers finished the first frame up, 15-14, before the Maroons tied it at 30 apiece by halftime. Valley pulled ahead with a six-point lead by the end of the third quarter and it was enough to hold off Dowling for the win.
Brynne Katcher had 11 points for Valley, and Ana Spaine was close behind with 10. Ava Zediker led the Maroons with 16 points and Julia Moore also scored in double digits for Dowling.
Valley aided by Spaine’s strengths
Ana Spaine is a reliable defender for the Tigers, and she doesn’t quit when she’s on the court. The 5-foot-7 senior was tasked with defending Dowling’s best players, and she got the job done.
Spaine closed lanes, pulled down rebounds and was quick to chase down an opponent when they circled back for some space. She also wasted no time setting up her teammates for their own success.
That doesn’t mean she didn’t put up points herself; Spaine was one of Valley’s top scorers against Dowling.
Her skill was a welcome addition to the court, especially when the Tigers struggled in other areas of the game. Valley was lacking at the defensive end at times and didn’t always use the pace of play to its advantage.
But the Tigers are still a talented team, with enough pieces to find a lot of success this season. Spaine is a significant part of the equation, and Valley will need similar performances from her teammates as opponents catch on to Spaine’s game.
Sophomore success for the Maroons
Dowling has a pair of sophomore stars who couldn’t be more different: 5-foot-3 guard Marin Heller and 5-10 guard Ava Zediker.
Zediker was one of the Maroons' starting five and she proved why early on. She can break up plays as much as she makes them, intercepting a pass and then taking it end to end for a score.
Heller is a head-down, full-force type of player who has no quit when she’s on the court. She has some size and speed, and there’s no hesitation from her when it comes to playing physical. She can defend and score with ease, but her biggest contribution might be how well she feeds her teammates.
Zediker and Heller play well above their age. That’s not only an advantage to Dowling this season, but will help the Maroons for the next couple seasons, too.
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Instant analysis of Valley girls basketball's 59-48 win over Dowling
