Kinley Soiney scorched the nets with 32 points and Siri Konkel with 20 as the Spring Grove girls won at Houston, 66-54, to nail down the outright 2024 Southeast Conference championship. In this regular-season finale, a Houston win would have allowed the Cougars to share the championship. With their first league title in eight years, the Lions head into the playoffs at 21-5, 15-1 SEC, while the Cougars enter postseason at 16-10, 13-3 SEC.
Photo by Lee Epps
Soiney also came down with 9 rebounds and came away with 5 steals while Konkel passed out 6 assists along with 4 thefts. Hurricane guard Avery Kingsley poured in 29 points, 20 contributing to Houston’s 30-28 halftime lead.
Spring Grove would stay alive with a 10-point run in the first half and then secure the win with a 13-point scoring spree in the second half. Early in the game, Soiney scored 14 straight points for the Lions. With Houston ahead early, 14-8, Soiney scored the game’s next 10 points for the first of four lead changes before halftime. After four lead changes in the second half, the Lions led 53-51 before Soiney and Konkel combined to score 13 unanswered points for a late 66-51 advantage.
With each team buoyed by both fast breaks and 3-point success, both shot very well – SG 47% and Houston 44%. But with eight more turnovers (Hou 20, SG 12), the Hurricanes did not shoot often enough to keep up. But the ‘Canes remained in contention with an eight-point bulge while attempting 10 more free throws (12 for 17, 71%) than did the Lions (4 for 7).
Taylor Elton’s Lions converted 16 steals into 14 of their 18 transition points, while the ‘Canes broke through the Spring Grove full-court pressure defense for 14 of their 21 fast-break points.
The Grove girls launched more shots beyond the 3-point arc (30) than they attempted closer in (27) and hit a good 33% from afar and a blistering 64% with 2-point attempts.
With a runaway 65-44 home win earlier this season, the Lions had ended a 13-game losing streak against Houston. However, Spring Grove has dominated the all-time series, 86 wins to 21.
The Spring Grove B-team (17-3), with 19 points from Elle Berns, completed a season sweep, 48-14. Houston won the eighth grade game, 26-22, while the Lions took the seventh grade contest, 29-20.
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SG 66, Houston 54
SCORE by HALVES
SG 28+38=66
Hou 30+24=54
TEAM TOTALS:
all FG: SG 47% (26-55), Hou 44% (17-39)
2-pt FG: SG 64% (16-25), Hou 47% (9-19)
3-pt FG: SG 33% (10-30), Hou 40% (8-20)
Free throws: SG 58% (4-7), Hou 71% (12-17)
Rebounds: SG 24, Hou 25
Turnovers: SG 12, Hou 20
2nd Chance pts: SG 34, Hou 3
Fast break pts: SG 18, Hou 21
Pts. in paint: SG 32, Hou 26
Greatest lead: SG 15, Hou 4
Fouls: SG 12, Hou 10
SG INDIVIDUALS: * starter, P-points, R rebounds, A-assists, S-steals, B-blocked shots. Listed in order of jersey number
*Siri Konkel 20P, 3R, 6A, 4S
Layla Kittleson 1A
*Kendal VanMinsel – played, no stats
Brinley Middendorf 1R, 1A, 1S
Izabel Kaufmann 5P, 4R, 1A, 2S
Carlie Halverson 2P, 1A, 1S
*Kylie Hammel 2P 3R, 3A, 1S
*Emerson Ingvalson 5P, 4R, 3A, 2S
*Kinley Soiney 32P, 9R, 4A, 5S
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Spring Grove Varsity Girls (21-5, 15-1 SEC)
W at Lanesboro 67-34
L at Waukon 63-66
W vs. Kingsland 52-44
W vs. Postville 63-18
W at Schaeffer Academy 42-38
W vs. LeRoy-Ostrander 70-51
W vs. Wabasha-Kellogg 63-43
W at St. Charles 63-27
W vs. Kenyon-Wanamingo 60-40
L at Hayfield 52-60
W vs. Lyle/Pacelli 64-18
W at Southland 63-48
W vs. Houston 65-44
W vs. Grand Meadow 51-47
W vs. Lanesboro 62-46
W at Kingsland 59-43
W at Turkey Valley 48-40
W vs. Schaeffer Academy 55-33
W vs. Fillmore Central 47-46
W at LeRoy-Ostrander 67-45
L vs. Lansing Kee 44-50
W at Lyle/Pacelli 50-39
W at Southland 73-41
L at Grand Meadow 56-59
L at Rushford-Peterson 39-53
W at Houston 66-54
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B-team Lions (17 wins, 3 losses)
W at Lanesboro 42-14
L at Waukon 23-37
W vs. Kingsland 36-22
W vs. LeRoy-Ostrander 40-9
W at St. Charles 39-32
W at Hayfield 44-39
W vs. Lyle/Pacelli 45-17
W at Southland 46-40
W vs. Houston 45-25
W vs. Grand Meadow 44-21
W vs. Lanesboro 53-34
W at Kingsland 58-29
W at Turkey Valley 23-19
W vs. Fillmore Central 46-35
L vs. Kee 14-16 (played only one half)
W vs. Lyle/Pacelli 46-29
W at Southland 35-27
W at Grand Meadow 36-22
L at Rushford-Peterson 20-43
W at Houston 48-14