With all the attention on the Petersen twins, Dike-New Hartford opponents can’t forgot about Maryn Bixby. She showed why in the opening game of the Class 2A tournament.
Bixby knocked down seven 3-pointers and scored 25 points as the top-seeded Wolverines continued their quest for a fourth consecutive state championship with a 58-28 romp past Cascade.
The Petersen twins, Payton and Jadyn, had rather modest scoring nights, but with Bixby shooting the way she did and the defense shackling the eighth-seeded Cougars throughout, Dike-New Hartford had no trouble advancing to the semifinal round at 10 a.m. on Friday.
Bixby is a 6-foot senior who along with the Petersens has figured in each of Wolverines’ three previous titles. She often was left open on the wing when the defense collapsed on Payton Petersen near the basket and she took advantage, going 7-for-15 from deep and 9-for-17 overall, slipping in a couple of layups to go with her perimeter shooting.
Payton and Jaydn each scored nine points, with Jaydn adding 17 rebounds, five assists, two blocks and two steals. Payton collected nine rebounds and dished out six assists, most of them to Bixby. The all-tournament captain each of the past three years, Payton took only six shots, making three.
Molly Roling’s eight points led Cascade, which reached the state tournament for the ninth time in the last 12 years. Addison Frake added six points and grabbed 10 rebounds. The Cougars shot just 29 percent and went 0-for-16 from 3-point range.
Bixby found the range early and hit three 3-pointers in the first quarter alone. Things were going so well for her that when she put up a shot from the left wing that looked to be a bit off, it kissed off the glass and dropped through the basket.
Dike-New Hartford led 19-8 after one quarter, holding the Cougars to 4-for-16 shooting over the first 8 minutes. The lead soon ballooned to 29-10, and when Jayden Petersen grabbed an offensive rebound with seconds to go in the opening half, she fired the ball to Bixby on the right wing and her 3-pointer dropped through the next just before the buzzer for a 34-12 lead.
Another Bixby trey stretched the lead to 51-20 early in the fourth quarter and she left the game for good shortly after burying a final shot from beyond the arc to make it 53-23.
Dike-New Hartford moves on with a 24-2 record, its losses by one point to Solon and by three points to North Polk. Both are in the state tournament semifinals, North Polk in Class 4A and Solon in 3A.
Cascade, which upset sixth-ranked Iowa City Regina Catholic to earn its trip to state, finished 17-7.