The Solon Spartans are headed to the state girls basketball tournament

SOLON — When a team finds itself one win from a state tournament berth, the athletes are bound to play with a bit more energy. And when they have to defeat their rival to do it, that makes the opportunity even sweeter.

That was the case on Saturday night when the Solon Spartans hosted the Mount Vernon Mustangs for a chance to compete in the Class 3A state girls basketball tournament.

The Spartans' added intensity was evident immediately as they took down the Mustangs 58-44 in a regional final, earning a trip to Des Moines while ending their rival's season.

While the circumstances around the game were electric enough, Solon head coach Jamie Smith said it didn't hurt that Mount Vernon had added flames to an already burning fire.

"I know that (Mount Vernon) was excited to play us, or at least that's what we heard," Smith said. "So it kind of gave us a little bit more juice. But I don't think you need a lot when you are playing to go to state or when we are playing Mount Vernon. So, going to state is great, but beating Mount Vernon is also special."

From their limiting defense to a standout performance from a talented sophomore, the following takeaways explain why Solon is headed to the state tournament for the first time since 2006:

Solon's offensive balance proves too much for Mount Vernon

To Mount Vernon's credit, sophomore Chloe Meester and junior Peyton Simpson were absolute forces to be reckoned with. They combined for 31 of the team's 44 points, but they could not overcome all of Solon's weapons by themselves.

One of the biggest strengths of the Spartans is their ability to spread the floor and attack defenses in a multitude of different ways. That was the case on Saturday night when they had three different players score double-digit points, with five players scoring at least four.

Knowing the advantages of having a lot of offensive firepower, Smith said it helped force Mount Vernon to become one-dimensional.

"We knew that they were going to score inside," Smith said. "It's not that we are trying to give that up, but we know they are going to score because they had an obvious height advantage. We just weren't going to allow everybody else to go off. They made zero three-pointers, and that is one of our goals. So I think we did an outstanding job of that as a unit."

Junior guard Callie Levin said having strong depth makes it more fun because defenses have no idea who is going to take over offensively.

"Just being able to rely on my teammates throughout the game was huge," Levin said. "Like Kobi (Lietz), she was huge tonight. Then you never know who it is going to be in the next game. Everyone is so reliable and consistent, so teams just can't guard us."

Kobi Lietz proves to be the night's biggest x-factor

Just as her name reminds you of the late, great basketball legend Kobe Bryant, sophomore guard Kobi Lietz's clutch shooting was reminiscent of him, too.

She was lighting it up from beyond the arc, connecting on six long-range shots. That's six more than Mount Vernon had as a team.

Embracing that the 3-pointer has become her calling card all year, Lietz said making those shots helped her feel more confident.

"I think that those shots boosted mine and the team's confidence," Lietz said. "With how well I was shooting it, on defense it just made me want to get after it."

Smith has appreciated what Lietz's shooting has meant to the team this season and said that her regional final performance was yet another example of how good she can be.

"She played at a different experience level tonight," Smith said. "She didn't look like a sophomore who has only played in 20 games. I know she was nervous coming into this game, but we told her that to cure her nerves she should go out there and hit some 3s early and she did."

Where do the Spartans go from here?

As much of an honor as it is to make it to the state tournament, no one on the team is content with just showing up. This is especially true for Levin, who said Saturday's game meant much more than just another playoff win.

"In the locker room, we talked about this game being bigger than just getting a chance to go to state," Levin said. "We want to win a state championship and that is our goal. So, being able to go to state is awesome, but we are thinking about bigger and better things."

While the energy around the team is understandably high, the Spartans will be put to the test on Monday, Feb. 27 when they open against Dubuque Wahlert at 8:30 p.m. Solon is seeking its first state championship since 1994.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Solon girls basketball team advances to Iowa state tournament