Harlan outscored top ranked Vinton-Shellsburg 10-0 to start the third quarter as the Cyclones raced away to a 67-56 victory in a class 3A quarterfinal round game at the boys state basketball tournament. Adam Juhl led the Cyclones with 17 points.
“Coach always says at halftime you’ve got to come out the first three minutes, play it one minute at a time and take,” Juhl says. “When you get that 10-0 run, it takes the life out of them sometimes. But you’ve got to keep going.”
Maxton Kearns led Vinton-Shellsburg with 19 points. The Vikings suffered their first loss of the season and close it out with a record of 24-1. Kearns says every team at state is a great team and he says it’s unfortunate they did not come out on top.
Levi Jansen scored 16 points and Justin Van Kalsbeek added 12 as MOC-Floyd Valley beat Grinnell 52-44 in a class 3A quarterfinal round game. It was a struggle on offense as both teams shut under 38-percent for the game.
The Dutchmen made only seven of 24 shots in the opening half and trailed 23-19 at the break. MOC-Floyd Valley coach Loren DeJong says they’ve faced adversity before and know what it takes to come back when they are down in the second half.
Fifth ranked Davenport Assumption used a 9-0 second half run to take control in a 55-45victory over seventh ranked Dallas Center Grimes. Nick Schebler had 14 to lead Assumption.
“We definately ratcheted it up and started playing with more intensity in the fourth quarter, we need to play with that the whole game thought to stretch the lead and to not make it so close,” Schebler says.
In the final 3A game of the night, third ranked Waverly Shell Rock outscored ninth ranked Mount Pleasant 7-2 in overtime to edge the defending champion.
In class 2A, Sheldon’s Chris Balster picked the right time to have his career high. The senior guard poured in 21 points as the eighth ranked Orabs edged Pella Christian 63-57. Balster connected on eight of 10 shots and as a team Sheldon was 57 percent for the game.
Sam Brincks scored 24 points and Carroll Kuemper used a big rebounding advantage to post a 61-54 victory over Fourth ranked Nodaway Valley in a class 2A quarterfinal round game.