Eleven years had passed since Carlisle last appeared in the Iowa high school girls basketball state tournament.
But the Wildcats weren’t satisfied with just making it to the Casey’s Center. The goal was to win, and Carlisle (24-1) started strong with a 58-44 win over Clear Creek Amana in the Class 4A quarterfinal on Tuesday, March 3.
“I’m so happy for these girls, because they set a goal, and they’ve gone after it,” said Carlisle coach Justin Flaws. “And they’ve been humble the whole entire way. They know that they can get beat at any moment, and they continue to show up and play defense and guard the way that everybody just saw.
“They commit to a game plan and they’ve committed to each other, and that’s the number one thing.”
Both teams exchanged leads in the opening minutes of the game until the Clippers encountered some shooting struggles and Carlisle finished the first quarter with a four-point lead. CCA continued to keep the Wildcats within reach; that is, until Macy Comito helped widen the gap.
With one minute remaining in the second quarter, Alyvia Freeman scored on a layup to give Carlisle a five-point lead. Comito came away with a steal on the Clippers’ next possession, and she dished a behind-the-back pass to Freeman for another two points.
And then, with six seconds on the clock, Comito collected the rebound on her own jump shot and dropped the second chance shot through the hoop to give the Wildcats a 29-20 lead at halftime.
“You think at some point you’d be like, ‘Oh, that’s just Macy,’” Flaws said about how Comito’s ball-handling skills continue to impress him. “But she always finds a way to make you go, ‘Holy cow.’ She still impresses you, and that’s just the way she is. She’s never satisfied with being good; she wants to be great.”
Both teams started slow in the second half, with the first basket coming nearly a minute-and-a-half into the third quarter. Carlisle narrowly outscored CCA, 13-12, in that frame, but the Wildcats had already built enough of a buffer.
Comito – an Iowa State signee – managed to get going in the second half. She scored 13 total points – 11 coming during the third and fourth quarters – and added five rebounds, five assists and three steals.
But it was another Cyclones’ commit who proved to be the difference maker on the scoreboard. And success, well, that must run in the family.
Mallie Stoner – committed to play softball at Iowa State, who also happens to be Comito’s cousin – looked nearly unstoppable against the Clippers. She led the Wildcats with 16 points and 10 rebounds, proving to be the difference-maker when CCA limited Comito.
“I’m extremely blessed to be able to coach her in two sports,” Flaws said. “But to see her step up in that situation, it’s something we expect from her. She knows she can do that. She won a (softball) championship a few years ago, so a stage like this is something she is comfortable with.”
Clear Creek Amana finishes the season with a 20-3 overall record, with its two regular season losses coming against state tournament teams.
Carlisle advances to the Class 4A semifinal, where it will face undefeated, top-seeded Bishop Heelan on Thursday, March 5, at 6:45 p.m.
Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Carlisle beats Clear Creek Amana in Iowa girls basketball tournament
Reporting by Alyssa Hertel, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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