March 28, 2024

Indians edge Cardinals out of playoffs

INDIANOLA — Going into Monday night’s Class 4A Substate 6 opener, there were no secrets. Newton High’s Cardinals and the Indianola Indians knew each other well. The two Little Hawkeye Conference teams split their conference games, and each sported a 14-7 overall record.

It was no surprise the game came down to the final seconds. Newton, which had a nine-point lead early in the game, trailed by three points, 63-60, with 11 seconds left in regulation.

Newton senior point guard Garrett Sturtz, who went into the game leading the state with 710 points, had the ball. He launched a 3-pointer out front that was short, but he followed his shot and got a basket with 1.8 seconds left. Time ran out on the Cardinals as Indianola knocked them out of the postseason on a 63-62 score.

Sturtz’s historic season came to an end on a second-all-time best effort of 54 points for the Cardinals. A week before the 6-foot-4-inch guard had dropped in a Newton single-game best 56 points against Winterset.

The other eight points for the Cardinals were scored by senior forward Grant Garvis. He hit a 3-pointer after Sturtz opened the game with a trey to give Newton a 6-2 lead.

Sturtz scored 16 points in the first quarter to push the Cardinals to a 19-15 advantage at the end of the period. The scoring pace slowed in the second period. The Indians had several opportunities to tie the game at 19 but couldn’t.

Garvis’ 3-pointer at the 3:22 mark of the second period put Newton up 23-19. A 3-pointer by senior Brady Held and two free throws from junior Evan Gauger pulled the Indians to within one by halftime, 25-24.

Sturtz opened the third quarter with a 3-pointer. Then it was back-to-back baskets by junior Quinn Vesey for Indianola to tie the game at 28-all by the 6:54 mark. It was Sturtz and Vesey trading baskets in the third quarter.

Gauger gave the Indians their first lead of the game on a basket with 2:40 left in the third period, 36-34.

Sturtz and Garvis had consecutive field goals for Newton to push back out front, 39-36.

The rest of Newton’s points were netted by Sturtz. He had 35 of the team’s 37 second-half points. Newton was battling foul troubles throughout the game. Newton led 42-40 heading into the final eight minutes of play.

The Cardinals led 45-43 when Sturtz was whistled for a charging foul — his third foul of the game — with 5:58 left. Gauger drained a 3-pointer, and Sturtz scored and was fouled, but missed the free throw.

Two free throws by junior Matt Deike was followed by a 3-pointer senior Jack Orwig put the Indians up for good, 51-47 with 4:52 left. Indianola kept Newton at bay with a field goal by Vesey then 6-of-8 free throws in the final 1:30.

Indianola cashed in on 16-of-22 free throw attempts in the game compared to Newton’s 5-of-9. The Indians shot 44 percent, 22-of-50, from the field including going 3-of-10 from 3-point range.

The Cardinals connected on 25-of-61 from the floor for 41 percent. They were 7-of-22 from beyond the 3-point arc.

Gauger led the Indians with 22 points and Vesey added 19 points. Orwig had 13 points.

Sturtz finished with a double-double as he cleared 13 of the team’s 22 rebounds. He also had one assist. Garvis had six assists and senior Grayson Graham had four assists.

Sturtz is Newton’s single-season scoring leader with 764 points this year. He is also the program’s all-time career scorer with 1,746 points. He also is the program’s career leader in assists and steals.

Sturtz already had the top spots in the four free throw categories on the Newton record book.

Newton finished the season at 14-8. It was 7-7 in Little Hawkeye Conference play, tying for fourth with Dallas Center-Grimes.

Indianola (15-7) has won five games in a row, and will play at 4A ninth-ranked Waukee on Friday in a Substate 6 semifinal. Also on Monday, Des Moines Roosevelt beat Southeast Polk, 65-37, and will play at Dowling Catholic on Friday in the other substate semifinal game.

Newton 19-6-17-20—62

Indianola 15-9-16-23—63

Newton (FG/3-pt): Sturtz 17/5-5-4-54, Graham 0-0-5-0, Garvis 1/2-0-5-8, Coley 0-0-4-0, Long 0-0-1-0. TOTALS: 17/7-5-19-62.

Indianola (FG/3-pt): Gauger 7/1-5-1-22, Vasey 7-5-2-19, Held 0/1-0-0-3, Scott 2-0-2-4, Orwig 3/1-4-1-13, Deike 0-2-4-2. TOTALS: 19/3-16-10-63.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535 or jsheets@newtondailynews.com