It was the class 4A semifinals today at the Girls’ State Basketball tournament. Third-ranked Waterloo West rallied from a 14-point halftime deficit to down second-rated West Des Moines Dowling 46-38 and earn a spot in Friday night’s 4A title game. West scored the final ten points of the half to pull within six and grabbed the lead late in the third quarter on a basket by West center Gillian Goring. and Dowling never led again. Goring scored 12 of her game-high 16-points in the second half. Waterloo West coach Tony Pappas says the late run in the second quarter sparked his team because at that point they appeared to be in trouble. He says the next thing he knows they hit a basket and went on a run to get within six points at the half. Dowling coach Bob Hansen says six possessions without a basket to end the first half let West crawl back into the game. He says they just didn’t hit the shots when the needed to down the stretch. He says they had too many Waterloo West will face Ankeny which shocked top-ranked Des Moines Lincoln today in the other semifinal 51-47.
