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WACO girls ground Ravens
Warrior defense steps up for first win of 2025-26 season
Southeast Iowa Union offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
WAYLAND — The WACO girls basketball team had lost four close games in four tries coming into Tuesday night’s Southeast Iowa Super Conference North Division game against Hillcrest Academy, but the Warriors weren’t about to let it happen a fifth time.
WACO played its best defensive game of the season, and it payed off with a 45-19 North Division win.
“We said since the beginning of the season that defense is going to be what is going to get this team going,” said WACO head coach Mitch Drey. “We have a bunch of athletes across the board who do a great job moving and talking.”
WACO’s defense was lights out all night long, but Hillcrest still hung in there for three quarters. The Warriors were up 13-4 after one quarter, 22-12 at halftime and 28-18 after three periods.
In the fourth, WACO started seeing some outside shots fall, while also suffocating the Raven offense, as the Warriors outscored Hillcrest 17-1 in the final eight minutes.
For Drey, it was a win against his former team. WACO’s first year head coach started his run with Hillcrest before leaving in 2024.
“Some of the girls on that team, like Claire (Withrow) and Niva (Helmuth), I was there for their freshman and sophomore years, and they’re great players,” said Drey. “And they’re way more than just those two girls. They fight hard, play hard and are a really well coached team.”
Drew Graber had a big night for the Warriors, scoring 11 points and pulling down four rebounds. Brenna Graber finished with 11 points and six assists.
“We went into the game with an open mind, not saying we were going to win or going to lose,” said Drew Graber after the game. “We just played our hardest, wanting to win really bad.”
Courtney Waterhouse finished the night with eight points. Bren Graber had four points. Ava Wagler finished with three, and Carlee Lunsford ended the night with two points and seven steals.
Niva Helmuth had a nice night inside for Hillcrest Academy, scoring 10 points. Ruth Witthoft scored four. Stavia Miller and Maria Portillo scored two points apiece, and Brynna Boshart finished with one.
With the win, WACO is now 1-4, while Hillcrest Academy is 3-4. Both teams are 1-4 in the conference.
