Rock Valley is one of the highest scoring teams in the state but it was defense that earned them another shot at a title. After scoring only 12 points in the opening half the second rated Rockets held top ranked Cedar Falls NU High to just 10 points in the second half for a 39-31 victory in a rematch of last years 1A championship game.
Guard Nic Bakker finished with 12 points and it was his three pointer with about four and a half minutes remaining that provided the Rockets with their first lead of the game. Rock Valley trailed 21-12 at the half. NU High made only three of 23 shots after halftime as they fall to 25-2 on the season.
Senior forward Eddie Diemer who finshed with eight points says the Panthers were unable to generate enough offense in the second half to hold off Rock Valley. Tanner Cooke led NU High with 15 points.
Ryan Powers made Lynnville-Sully pay for an ill advised foul. The Calamus-Wheatland star was fouled at mi-court on an inbounds play with just under six seconds remaining and connected on both free throws in a 57-55 win over the fifth ranked Hawks in a 1A semifinal. Powers says he had a game earlier this year where he had a chance to win it with free throws, but he missed both of them, and says he wasn’t going to let that happen again.
Powers finished with a game-high 28 points.