Iowa Girls Basketball State Tournament: Action Continues With Seven Games

Day two of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union State Basketball Tournament featured games in three different classifications.

Des Moines Christian put the finishing touches on the Class 3A quarterfinals with a 52-46 victory over Forest City. The Lions advance to Thursday’s semifinals from the Casey’s Center in Des Moines, Iowa to face Maquoketa.

It was a thrilling fourth quarter between Des Moines Christian and Forest City, as the Indians scored the first 10 points of the final frame to erase a deficit. The Lions roared back with eight in a row in their fourth consecutive state tournament.

* Opening day of Iowa Girls High School Basketball State Tournament roundup

Reese DeVooght had a game-high 23 points and six rebounds. Addy Oetker added 12 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks while Caitlin Hall scored six points off the bench.

For the Indians, Jenna Dontje had a double-double, scoring 21 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. She also had four steals. Dru Seglem added seven points and Hayden Brown had three points, eight rebounds and six steals.

Dallas Center-Grimes Dominates In 4A Opener

An 18-point first quarter helped Dallas Center-Grimes put Waverly-Shell Rock away early, as the Mustangs cruised into the 4A semifinals with a 59-39 victory.

Macy Meyer sank three 3-pointers and scored 17 points to lead Dallas Center-Grimes, as Leah Brauch added 10 points. Avid Smid had seven points, five rebounds and four assists, with Tessa Jones chipping in eight points and four rebounds.

Waverly-Shell Rock got 19 points out of Lizzy Frazell, as she nailed five triples. Frazzel also had seven rebounds, three steals and three blocks. Addie Ott recorded seven points and Britt Bodensteiner eight rebounds.

The Mustangs shot 64 percent from the 3-point line and 58 percent from the field, using 28 points in the paint to overcome the Go-Hawks.

Double-Double By Braylyn Birmingham Leads Norwalk

Braylyn Birmingham, one of the top scorers in the state, responded in the second half to carry Norwalk past Central DeWitt, 50-37.

Birmingham, averaging just over 30 points per game, finished with 26, including 16 during a key second half stretch that helped the Warriors advance. She also tallied 10 rebounds with two blocks, two steals and two assists.

Pearl Brown scored 11 points with five rebounds and four steals, as Ava Carlson grabbed nine rebounds.

Norwalk advances to face Dallas Center-Grimes for a third time this season. The two split their regular season encounters.

Jaelyn Sinclair’s 13 led Central Dewitt, who were also knocked out of the state tournament by Norwalk last year. Ava Putman added 10 points.

Top-Ranked Sioux City Bishop Heelan Rolls, 81-56

Sioux City Bishop Heelan’s Melina Snoozy dominated North Polk in the quarterfinals, leading the Crusaders to an 81-56 victory.

Snoozy scored 39 points, as Sioux City Bishop Heelan moved one step closer to the fifth state title in program history. She finished 17 of 26 from the field and made five 3-pointers, adding 12 rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Ella Otten added 17 points with five assists while Trishelle Miller recorded 15 points and 13 rebounds.

The Crusaders put together the first unbeaten regular season in school history this past winter, as Snoozy broke the 4A single-game record for points scored.

North Polk’s Campbell Schulz scored 25 points and Fayth Sullivan added 13, as the Comets bowed out after placing second a year ago and graduating four starters.

Carlisle Knocks Off Clear Creek-Amana

The first lower-seed to advance in 4A was Carlisle, as they topped Clear Creek-Amana, 58-44.

Mallie Stoner had a double-double, scoring 16 points with 10 rebounds, as Iowa State commit Macy Comito added 13 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals. Kami Clark scored 12 points and Ella Smith finished with 10.

Clark also had six rebounds and three assists, as Smith recorded five rebounds.

For the Clippers, future Arizona State Sun Devil Averie Lower tallied 18 points and 11 rebounds while Lena Smith scored 13.

Defending Champ Hinton Survives Scare

Back in early December, West Lyon scored a 45-44 decision over defending Class 2A state champion Hinton.

The top-seeded Blackhawks narrowly avenged that loss when it mattered most, earning a 46-45 victory in the quarterfinals.

Addison Glass knocked down a pair of free throws with just under 35 seconds to play and Keely Derochie had a key block to secure the victory. Sydney Doeschot, a returning all-tournament selection for Hinton, had 15 points and 10 rebounds, as Derochie finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

For West Lyon, Ava Carolan and Taya Christie each scored 11 while Belah Kramer added 10.

Denver Rallies Past Emmetsburg, 45-42

Channing Johnson and Denver got on track in the third, advancing to the semifinals with a 45-42 victory over Emmetsburg in the final game of the day.

The Cyclones struggled with the 1-3-1 zone of the E-Hawks, who were at state for the first time since 1999.

But Johnson and company regrouped and recovered, as she led all scorers with 22 points. Johnson also grabbed 11 rebounds and had two steals, as Brilee Ackerson scored nine points and Mylee Thurm recorded eight points with 10 rebounds.

Denver outscored Emmetsburg in the third quarter, 21-7, as Johnson and Ackerson combined for 19.

For the E-Hawks, Rachel Schany scored 16 points with seven rebounds and three blocks, as Kylie Hoffman added 11 points.

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