The improvement that was expected in 2022 was realized by the Spring Grove basketball girls, who were ready for small-school competition, going 10-9 against other Class A clubs. However, small schools in the southeast corner of the state are not able to fill out a maximum 26-game slate without scheduling several larger Class AA clubs. The 2022 Lion girls were not able to derail any of those larger school squads, dropping all eight of those games for an overall 10-17 record. Progress may best be determined after looking back at the previous 2021 Covid-shortened campaign, when the girls did not face any larger schools and finished 3-13 against an all-Class A schedule. This year’s 10-9 small-school record was a significant improvement.
Photo by Lee Epps
With an experienced lineup (the seven top players returning), improvement was expected compared to the previous season. But the Lions were also relatively young with sophomores, freshmen and even eighth graders assuming key roles. That presented the opportunity for improvement throughout the season as well. The latter progress was evident in the rematches with Houston, Lanesboro and Rushford-Peterson. East Division champion Lanesboro whipped the Lions by 23 points in late December, but the Lions upset the Burros, 44-36, in early February. It was the first time in 14 years that the girls had won a rematch after such a previous lop-sided loss.
Houston breezed past SG by 26 points (58-32) in early December. Houston again scored 58 points in mid-January, but the Hurricanes escaped by only three points (58-55) in the rematch. Rushford-Peterson enjoyed a 42-point Lion lashing in late December (61-19). But on the same court in the late-February section rematch, the Trojans had to come from behind in the final minute to sneak past SG, 44-41.
“I was very proud of the improvement we showed from the beginning of the year to the end,” said coach Kody Moore. “To go from a 61-19 loss to R-P in late December to leading in the playoff game against them with 30 seconds left is a testament to how hard the girls worked. We felt that we played well enough to win the game other than the last couple minutes. It just goes to show how close the program is to taking a step in the right direction. “
Spring Grove witnessed the same measure of improvement from Schaeffer Academy. The SG Lions won by 33 points at Rochester, but five and a half weeks later on their home floor, escaped an upset by holding off the SA Lions, 49-42. SG shot 39% in both games, but Schaeffer performed at a much higher level in the rematch.
Coach Moore’s Lions achieved a winning Southeast Conference record (7-6) for the first time in five years, including a win over champion Lanesboro. The third-place finish in the SEC East Division was their the highest in three seasons. That was right in the middle, behind Lanesboro (10-3 SEC) and Houston (9-4) and ahead of Mabel-Canton (5-8) and Schaeffer Academy (0-13).
The B-team girls, went 12-11 and in junior high action, Spring Grove was 1-8 in eighth grade games while the seventh graders had a stellar 11-2 record.
The few close ones
The outcomes in close games greatly determine a win-loss record, this season the difference somewhere between a possible winning 14-13 record or a disappointing 6-21 mark. The Lions did not play many close games and won as many as they lost to finish 10-17. Of the 27 games, only eight were decided by 11 or fewer points with the Lions winning four and dropping four.
Spring Grove came closest to victory against a Class AA team when falling by nine points (48-39) to visiting St. Charles. The Lions led at halftime before being foiled by turnovers and the Saints’ offensive rebounds.
The Lions had two more baskets than did Mabel-Canton in an early five-point (43-38) road win over the Cougars. But SG had one of its three coldest shooting nights of the year while M-C took the rematch by the same margin (35-30). Both teams shot better on the road than they did at home.
In the rematch with Schaeffer, Spring Grove was playing without its leading scorer Jordian Leahy, but the girls had one of their best shooting games (39%) to subdue the other Lions.
The highlight of the year was the eight-point (44-36) upset of division-leading Lanesboro, which had previously drubbed the Lions, 58-35. Facing a different SG defense than in their earlier meeting, the Burros did not as easily get to the basket and did not shoot well enough from the perimeter.
The late 74-63 win at Lyle/Pacelli was decided at the foul line where SG attempted a season-high 38 attempts and made a season-best 31 free throws, a season-high 82%. Outscored from the field, the Lions had a 21-point advantage in free throws in an 11-point victory. Leahy hit 18 of 21 charity shots
In the first win (of two) against Southland, the Lions made the plays down the stretch on both defense (3 late steals by Katelyn Kraus) and offense (10 late points by Leahy) while breaking a late 42-42 tie to win by nine (54-45). The late-heroics script was flipped in the season-ending 44-41 section loss to Rushford-Peterson when Lion turnovers/Trojan steals decided the outcome in the final few minutes.
There were 16 games decided by margins of at least 20 points, half of which with at least 30-point spreads. That included four 40-plus-point poundings. Fast breaks contributed to most of those blowouts. SG had a 29-4 fast-break, scoring bulge in the 33-point win at Schaeffer, but was not able to duplicate that advantage in the much closer rematch. Fast breaks were decisive factors in seven of the 10 blowout losses.
Scoring, shooting
The varsity girls averaged 44 points per game, not yet championship worthy but a marked improvement over the 33-point average of 2021 and better than the 40 points-per-game of 2020. But the Lions were still outscored by an average of 10 points per game, 54-44. While the scoring offense has improved, the scoring defense held the opponents to about the same the past three seasons: 54 points per game this year, about the same as the 53 and 54-point averages the previous two seasons.
The Lions scored more because they shot better. Compared to the previous season, the seven percent increase in field goal percentage (from 26% to 33%) was due to a seven percent increase in 3-point accuracy. The girls’ 28% from 3-point range was their best in 10 years, since the 31% in 2013. The opponents have shot about 24-to-25% from 3-point range the past three seasons. The Spring Grove girls launched about 15.5 trey attempts per game, more than most years; the opponents aired up 14.3 triple attempts per game. The Lions outscored the opponents by 72 points from downtown.
Despite the improvement in shooting, the opponents outshot Spring Grove from the field for the eighth consecutive season, this year 37% to 33%.
Spring Grove was outscored from the free throw line by 49 points (1.8 points per game). It was not because the opponents shot better, but because they got to the line more often. Both SG and the other gals shot 52% from the charity stripe, but the opponents attempted three and half more free throws per game.
Boards and bobbles
Making shots is only possible after getting shots. Getting shots depends on offensive rebounding and ball-handling. Unfortunately, the Grove girls, in addition to not shooting as well as the other teams, also did not shoot as often – about seven and half fewer attempts per game.
Ball-handling was three turnovers-a-game better than the previous season. But for the third straight season, SG had more lost possessions than the opposition – averaging 23 turnovers per game to the other gals’ 19.
The Lions averaged 10 offensive rebounds per game to the opponents’ 15. Including defensive boards, the girls averaged 29 boards per game to the opponents’ 37, making a fifth straight season of backboard deficits. SG was outrebounded in 22 of their 27 games, but they finished well, winning the backboard battle in four of the final five games.
This year, next year
With mostly the same playing rotation as 2021, it was not surprising, but still encouraging that the 2022 Lion girls showed improvement in the win column and in almost every statistical category. Graduation will claim the leading scorer (Leahy), but with most key contributors retaining eligibility, expectations are for continued progress in 2023.
This focus of this article is on the team. Individual achievements will be part of upcoming awards coverage.
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Lions the Last 7 Seasons – SG girls Basketball
2022 10-17 (7-6 SEC, 3rd East)
2021 ..3-13 (3-11 SEC, 5th East)
2020 ..6-21 (4-9 SEC, 4th East)
2019 10-12 (6-7 SEC, 3rd East)
2018 10-14 (6-7 SEC, T- 2nd East)
2017 15-11 (11-3 SEC, 2nd East)
2016 16-10 (14-4 SEC, 1st East)
total 70-98 (51-47 SEC)
conference championships (11): 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2005, 2003, 1996, 1980
sub-section/district championships (6): 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 1997, 1995
section championships (1): 2012
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SEC Girls BB (all records final except Grand Meadow)
>>EAST DIVISION *division champions
Lanesboro* 10-3 SEC (19-9 season)
Houston 9-4 SEC (16-12 season)
Spring Grove 7-6 SEC (10-17 season)
Mabel-Canton 5-8 SEC (8-19 season)
Schaeffer Aca. 0-13 SEC (3-24 season
>>WEST DIVISION
Kingsland* 13-0 SEC (19-9 season)
Gr. Meadow 11-2 SEC (23-6 season)
Southland 6-7 SEC (8-17 season)
Lyle/Pacelli 2-11 SEC (5-23 season)
LeRoy-Ostr. 2-11 SEC (4-23 season)
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Spring Grove Girls Basketball 2021-’22
>>>10 wins, 17 losses (7-6 SEC, 3rd place)
2-0 vs. Schaefer Academy 60-27, 49-42
2-0 vs. Southland 54-45, 55-37
2-0 vs. LeRoy-Ostrander 58-33, 60-42
1-0 vs. Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons 68-38
1-0 vs. Lyle/Pacelli 74-63
1-1 vs. Lanesboro 35-58, 44-36
1-1 vs. Mabel-Canton 43-38, 30-35
0-1 vs. Decorah, Iowa 14-69
0-1 vs. New Hampton, Iowa 38-57
0-1 vs. Triton 38-70
0-1 vs. St. Charles 39-48
0-1 vs. Dover-Eyota 37-77
0-1 vs. Waukon, Iowa 55-71
0-1 vs. Grand Meadow 21-66
0-1 vs. Kingsland 34-63
0-1 vs. Lewiston-Altura 38-62
0-1 vs. Fillmore Central 36-78
0-1 vs. Plainview-Elgin-Millville 47-72
0-2 vs. Houston 32-58, 55-58
0-2 vs. Rushford-Peterson 19-61, 41-44
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Spring Grove B-team Girls (12-11)
2-0 vs. Mabel-Canton 34-20, 32-29
2-0 vs. Lanesboro 28-21, 29-22
2-0 LeRoy-Ostrander 34-15, 41-18
- Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons 38-26
1-0 vs. Triton 40-33
1-0 vs. St. Charles 35-27
1-1 vs. Houston 32-40, 34-31
1-1 vs. Southland 28-36, 38-28
0-1 vs. Decorah 17-36
0-1 vs. Rushford-Peterson 9-44
0-1 vs. Dover-Eyota 9-59
0-1 Grand Meadow 21-29
0-1 vs. Waukon 19-47
0-1 vs. Kingsland 20-24
0-1 vs. Lewiston-Altura 25-48
0-1 vs. Plainview-Elgin-Millville 18-48
- Fillmore Central 28-33
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Spring Grove 8th Grade Girls (1-8)
1-1 vs. Lanesboro 25-26, 14-12
0-1 vs. Lansing Kee 18-46
0-1 South Winneshiek 19-23
0-1 vs. Kingsland 9-33
0-1 vs. P-E-M 21-41
0-1 vs. Fillmore Central 15-24
0-2 vs. Houston 25-36, 18-36
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Spring Grove 7th Grade Girls (11-2)
2-0 Lanesboro 25-15, 35-11
2-0 vs. LeRoy-Ostrander 45-8, 43-7
2-0 at Houston 46-18, 36-14
1-0 vs. Caledonia 34-23
1-0 vs. Fillmore Central 26-10
1-0 vs. South Winneshiek 25-13
1-0 Grand Meadow 33-3
1-0 vs. Kingsland 48-6
- Lansing Kee 22-31
0-1 vs. P-E-M 27-32