Top ranked Danville got 19 points, seven rebounds and seven steals from Mason Speer to roll past ninth ranked West Hanock 69-47 in a class 1A quarterfinal at the boys’ state basketball tournament. The Bears improve to 26-0.

Speer says the Bear came into the game feeling they had something to prove. “We’ve come up short a couple of years and I think there was just a little bit extra fire…came out with a lot of emotion and intensity,” Speer says. Danville broke the game open by outscoring the Eagles 23-12 in the second quarter as Speer says they moved the ball well and the defense help spur on the offense.

The Bears shot 55 percent for the game while West Hancock managed only 35 percent from the floor.

“Give Danville credit, they have a heck of a team, they are 25-0 for a reason,” West Hancock coach Brian Peterson says. The Eagles also committed 24 turnovers as they close out the season with a record of 22-5.

Peterson says Danville was aggressive and attacked them when his offense normally attacks.

Fourth ranked Maple Valley-Anthon-Oto connected on 17 of 18 free throws, including 12 of 12 in the fourth quarter to hold off eighth ranked South O’Brien 51-45 in another class 1A quarterfinal.

“We practice free throws all the time in practice and we’ve had a few games where it has been rough shooting free throws. It was huge to hit those free throws down the stretch, ” according to Rams senior Derrik Kerns who scored 16 points and was four-of-four at the charity stripe down the stretch. The Rams take a 25-1 record into Thursday’s 1A semifinals.

South O’Brien struggled on offense and shot just 38 percent for the game. Dallas Jalas led the Wolverines with 16 points as they close out the season with a record of 22-4.

Second ranked Gladbrook-Reinbeck and seventh ranked Earlham also posted wins in 1A.

In class 2A, Nick Waller poured in 25 points as third ranked Aplington-Parkersburg beat Woodward Academy 82-69. Ninth ranked Treynor used a 9-0 run in the fourth quarter to edge seventh rankedForest City 69-66.