Pella rallied from a nine point halftime deficit to keep its undefeated season intact, and staked its claim to the number one ranking in class 3A boys basketball with a 61-58 victory over Dallas Center-Grimes. Earlier in the night, the 5th-ranked DCG girls held off the Lady Dutch 44-35. Both games were heard live on the KRLS2 stream at www.kniakrls.com.
The boys game got off to a frantic start, with the Mustangs holding a slim 20-19 lead at the end of the first quarter. They then took control in the second quarter, holding the Little Dutch to just four points as they built a 32-23 lead. Pella got back on track in the third quarter, going ahead 45-44, then holding on in a back-and-forth final frame. Head Coach Derek Schulte says the response coming out of the halftime break was critical.
The Pella basketball teams opened the new year with a doubleheader sweep at Oskaloosa, as heard live on 92.1 KRLS Tuesday night.
The No. 2 in 3A Dutch boys were 68-35 winners and the Lady Dutch knocked off Osky 70-45.
Both games featured slow starts on offense for Pella the girls had trouble with turnovers, while the Pella boys struggled to hit several open shots both outside the arc and in the paint.
The Lady Dutch played to a 32-26 halftime lead, but pulled away in the final two quarters with a 38-19 advantage in the final 16 minutes.
Pella was paced by a big night from Jasmine Namminga, who scored 16 points and nabbed nine rebounds, and a 19-point performance from Madison Naig.
A Pella girls basketball senior will continue her career in college. Senior Madison Naig will head to Orange City to play for Northwestern College next winter.
“That was really exciting and just awesome to be able to make that decision, and I’m looking forward to how much I can develop right now in this season to be able to push me into that next level, and just prepare for what I’m going to see in the future,” she says. “I’m also just really cherishing the moments I have now, especially with these girls, and really appreciate that time because it’s going to end soon, unfortunately.”
A trio of three seniors is trying to push the Pella girls basketball team to heights they haven’t seen since the spring of 2017.
Seniors Madison Naig, Faith Diers, and Annika Peterson are all multiple year starters with their eyes on getting the Lady Dutch back to the state tournament after several close calls over the past few seasons.
The trio grew up playing basketball together, and say that chemistry allows them to have success on the court and create a fun environment for their underclass athletes.
“We’ve been playing together since we were little on AAU, and the thing I’ve taken away the most is just it’s amazing to see their successes,” Diers says. “Annika will make a move on the court and I’ll be like, ‘Ok, she’s been working so hard to get to this point,’ or Madison’s amazing game [against Norwalk]. We’ve pushed each other for so many years and to see each other’s successes is awesome.”
Ankeny holds off Lady Dutch, 54-50 oskaloosa.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from oskaloosa.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.