Rebounding and free throws helped MFL-Mar-Mac stay unbeaten.

Emily Blietz scored 23 points and the second-ranked Bulldogs used a 41-18 rebounding edge to offset North Polk's quickness in a 61-50 victory in a first-round Class 2A game.

Whitney Wubbena added 17 points for MFL-Mar-Mac (26-0) and Kellie Wagner scored 11. Blietz led all rebounders with 12 and teammate Melissa Moon pulled down nine.

MFL-Mar-Mac has only one senior and she doesn’t start. Wubbena and Wagner are sophomores as is starter Chelsey Lamker. Blietz and Moon are juniors.

Megan Howard's 26 points led 15th-ranked North Polk (22-4), which came up with 16 steals but missed too many open shots. Sammy Snygg, an all-state pitcher in softball, scored 11 for the Comets.

North Polk trailed by 10 late in the third quarter, then ran off eight straight points to cut the lead to 39-37 on Snygg's 3-pointer with 7:16 left. But MFL-Mar-Mac had an answer.

The Bulldogs went on a 15-3 run to take control and secured the victory at the free throw line. After missing eight of its first 12 free throws, MFL-Mar-Mac went 11-for-14 at the line in the fourth quarter.

Blietz went 4-for-5 on free throws in that stretch and finished it off with a layup.