The boys state high school basketball tournament is underway in Des Moines with the quarterfinal round in class 1-A. Bellevue Marquette forward Chris Kilburg saved his best game for the biggest stage. The 6-5 junior carried a season averaged of just under eight points per game into the tournament but poured in a team high 19 on 9 of 12 shooting and added seven rebounds as Marquette sidelined second ranked Elk-Horn Kimballton 68-59.Elk Horn-Kimballton coach Warren Watson said he was proud of the effort.Fourth ranked Boyden-Hull jumped out to a 19-6 lead at the end of the first quarter and cruised to a 65-45 victory over Walnut. Center Travis Hulsteen led the Comets with 13-points and says the game was to get the ball inside.Boyden-Hull coach Paul Walton was happy with the quick start.Walnut was making its first-ever trip to the tournament and coach Jon Peterson says that showed in the early going.In class 1-A, defending champion Newell-Fonda adavanced to the semifinals by downing Iowa Mennonite 69-58. The Mustangs took command by building a 32-21 lead at the half.Jeremy Van Soelen poured in 32-points as top ranked Lynnville-Sully got by 6th ranked SCMT 59-48. The Hawks jumped out to a big lead early and were on top 21-11 after the first quarter.In the class 2-A quarterfinals, ninth ranked Pella Christian claimed a 59-46 win over Maquoketa Valley. Pella Christian started quickly building a 10-0 lead at the outset and Maquoketa Valley coach Gordon Runquist says it was a big hole for his team to climb out of.Kyle Van Arendonk led Pella Christian with 22-points and added nine rebounds.A three pointer by Andy Schmitz with a minute-39 remaining gave Dike-New Hartford a two point lead and the tenth ranked Wolverines held on to down second ranked Audubon 60-59.Schmitz says a double team left him wide open for the three pointer.Audubon coach Bob Monahan says Dike-New Hartford made the plays to win the game.
