Mila Van Weelden’s fourth-quarter burst puts the Wolves in control for good

CEDAR RAPIDS — It was still anyone’s game.

So Mila Van Weelden went out and took it.

“I knew what was at stake,” she said. “And I knew what needed to be done.”

<!–

–>
#placement_665573_0_i{width:100%;margin:0 auto;}

Van Weelden scored six straight points to open the fourth quarter, and Marion went on to topple crosstown rival Linn-Mar, 44-33, as part as Rivalry Saturday at Johnson Hall.

The Wolves (2-0) prevailed despite shooting 25 percent from the field.

“That’s the game I thought it would be,” Marion Coach Henry Martinson said. “I didn’t think either team would score great. It was going to be our defense that won it for us.”

Marion led throughout most of the game, but an 11-point lead dwindled to 30-27 late in the third quarter, and it was 33-27 entering the fourth.

Van Weelden hit the second of two free throws, then added a 3-pointer, then a layup in the span of 90 seconds. Suddenly, the Wolves had Linn-Mar (1-1) in the rearview mirror again at 39-27.

“Linn-Mar is always one of our biggest games, for sure,” Van Weelden said. “The stakes are higher. Any time you can beat a (Class) 5A team, it’s good.

“We don’t have a high Division-I player, so it’s going to take every single player, every single game.”

Madeline Pavelka added 14 points and seven rebounds for Marion.

Dreya Kern paced Linn-Mar with 14 points.

Van Weelden had the Wolves’ first seven points on their way to a 9-5 lead after one quarter. They scored the last six points of the half for a 22-16 advantage at intermission.

Comments: [email protected]