Class 1A State Basketball Tournament
North Linn 68, Winfield-Mount Union 36
North Linn’s depth and balanced scoring proved to be too much for Winfield-Mount Union as the third-ranked Lynx advanced to the Class 1A semifinals with a 68-36 victory in Class 1A quarterfinal action.
Poor second and fourth quarters proved to be Winfield-Mount Union’s undoing. The Wolves trailed 14-12 after the first quarter before North Linn outscored Winfield-Mount Union 19-9 in the second quarter to take a 33-21 halftime lead that they did not relinquish. The Lynx outscored the Wolves 26-7 in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach.
Macy and Molly Boge both scored 13 for the Lynx while Kamryn Kurt added 11 points. The Lynx defense forced 26 Winfield-Mount Union turnovers that they turned into 29 points. North Linn’s bench was also a factor, outscoring Winfield-Mount Union 22-4.
Melina Oepping scored 18 points with 10 rebounds, both game highs, to lead Winfield-Mount Union. Bradie Buffington added 10 with nine rebounds.The Wolves, making their first trip to state since 1998, ends its season at 22-2.
North Linn improves to 23-1 and will face second-ranked Newell-Fonda at 3:15 p.m. Friday in the Class 1A semifinals.