Forest City is off to the school’s fourth regional final in its 31st year of 5v5 girls basketball, besting Crestwood 77-35 Wednesday night in Forest City. The Indians extended their 5v5 school record for wins in a season to 20 wins. The last Forest City girls basketball team with 20 wins was the 1975-’76 team that went 20-4.
The Indians raced off to a 20-12 lead in the opening quarter with fourth three-point baskets, two from Colette Loges and one from Bethany Warren and Hayden Brown.
By halftime, Forest City’s lead had grown to 51-23 as they outscored the Cadets 31-11 in the second quarter. Jaden Jerome cashed in four three-pointers in her only four attempts in the second quarter to help Forest City tee off.
A track-meet-like game played in Forest City’s favor in the third quarter when the Indians held the Cadets to no field goals and only two points from the free-throw line, outscoring Crestwood 19-2 and putting the game out of reach heading to the fourth up 70-25. Forest City added four more three-point baskets in the quarter to get them to a season-high 13.
“We were doing a really good job executing our plays, and a few of them are setting up a screener for the shooter, said senior Jaden Jerome after the game. She added, “I was pretty open and had my feet set and ready to shoot.”
Full interview Jaden Jerome
The win makes Forest City is now 15-4 all-time and 7-0 in their last seven in home postseason 5v5 girls basketball games. These last two wins of 70-28 over New Hampton and 77-35 over Crestwood are the first two times Forest City has scored 70 or more points in a postseason game, home or away.
Forest City struggled to get to regional finals from 1994 when they started playing 5-on-5 girls’ basketball, but have made two in the past three years. The first 5v5 regional final came in 2000 when Forest City lost 66-37 to Hampton and waited 17 years for another crack in 2017. The 2017 team lost to Sioux Center 72-50, and a five-year drought ended in 2022 when Forest City lost to West Lyon 45-33 in that regional final. Sophomore Hayden Brown was a water girl on that 2022 team and said the loss was heartbreaking.
“It’s a huge moment for us,” she said. “I was in the locker room watching those girls as an eighth-grader, and that was just heartbreaking, and I think it’s really cool to have that opportunity.”
Full interview Hayden Brown
Full interview Coach Erpelding
#12 Forest City will play #5 Roland-Story in the Class 3A Region 4 final, attempting to make the state tournament for the first time in school history, 5v5 or 6v6. Roland-Story is looking to return to the state tournament for the first time since 2022, when they lost in the quarterfinals to West Lyon. The Norse also have state births in 2021 (quarterfinal loss), 2019 (quarterfinal loss), 2011 (semifinal loss), 2010 (semifinal loss), and 2009 (quarterfinal loss). They won a 6v6 state championship in 1972, qualifying in 1971 and 1973 in 6v6 girls basketball.
This year’s team is led by Italian exchange student Matilde Motta, who scores upwards of 14 points a night for coach Maddie Gelber. Gelber also has a trio of juniors, Claire Truesdell, Kamryn Lande, and Alyssa Jones, averaging between seven and nine points per game.
The Norse will look to join the Indians in running the floor, playing the game in transition, and firing the three balls just like the Indians. However, the Norse have about 200 more three-point attempts this season than Forest City.
16 teams remain in Class 3A and will also play on Saturday to decide the eight-team state field:
#1 ELC vs. #10 Spirit Lake
#2 Des Moines Christian vs. #11 Algona
#3 Solon vs. #14 Chariton
#4 Mount Vernon vs. NR Mediaplis
#5 Roland-Story vs. #12 Forest City
#6 Harlan Community vs. #15 Cherokee Washington
#7 Wahlert Catholic vs. NR Center-Point-Urbana
#8 Benton Community vs. #9 Monticello
