2011 Iowa Girls State Basketball Tournament

Class 2A First Round

Monticello 56, Mount Ayr 49

Thanks to a big fourth quarter, Monticello is headed to the Class 2A semifinals.

Brooke Stahlberg led three players in double figures with 15 points and the eighth-ranked Panthers turned back No. 4 Mount Ayr 56-49 to extend its school-record victory total to 25 against just one loss.

Monticello trailed by as many as eight points in the first half and was down 24-21 at halftime before running off five straight points midway through the third quarter to take the lead for good.

But the Panthers still had to fight off Mount Ayr to the end and they did so by putting up 21 points in the fourth quarter.

Monticello scored the first nine points of the quarter to open a 44-34 lead, which proved enough to hold on.

Mount Ayr drew to 53-49 on Jensen Stewart's three-point play with 49.9 seconds left but didn't score again. Monticello wrapped it up on Paxtyn Keleher's layup and Kelsie Etten's free throw.

The Panthers often were the quicker team down the floor and that paid off in the fourth quarter. All eight of their field goals in the quarter came on drives to the basket or layups.

Etten added 14 points and grabbed six rebounds for Monticello, while Jordan Aitchison scored 12. Stewart led Mount Ayr with 15 points, Becca Pennington scored 11 and Bailey Myer added nine points and nine rebounds.

Monticello will play top-ranked OA-BCIG at noon on Thursday. Mount Ayr moved up to Class 2A this season after finishing second in last year's 1A tournament. The Raiderettes finish 22-3.