DES MOINES – Capsules for Friday’s games involving area teams in the Iowa High School Girls State Basketball Tournament at Wells Fargo Arena.
Class 1A semi-finals
No.3 North Linn (23-1) vs. No.2 Newell-Fonda (23-2)
Time: 3:15 p.m
Top player: North Linn is led by Kamryn Kurt (5-6, SR.) with 17.0 points, 4.3 assists and 4.1 steals per game. Macy Boge (5-8, Jr.) and Molly Boge (5-8, Soph.) add 12.5 and 11.6 points per game, respectively. Mary Walker (5-6, Sr.) is the top scorer for Newell-Fonda with a 15.0-point clip. Other double-digit scorers include Kierra Jungers (5-11, Jr., 12.3 ppg) and McKenna Sievers (5-5, Jr., 11.0 ppg).
Trainer: Brian Wheatley is in his 19th season with North Linn and owns a 371-88 record. His last 13 teams have all won more than 20 games. Dick Jungers was the architect of the Newell-Fonda dynasty and led the Mustangs to a 466-72 mark in his 21 years with four state championships and 14 state appearances.
How they got here: North Linn picked up 22 bank points in a 68-36 quarterfinal win over No. 8 Winfield-Mount Union. The Lynx owned the fourth quarter 26-7. Walker scored 24 points on 10-of-13 shooting in Newell-Fonda’s 81-60 win over No. 9 Woodbine. The Lynx forced 26 turnovers, the Mustangs 25.
BC Moore computer projection: Newell Fonda at 7.
Class 3A Championship
No. 4 Benton Community (23-3) vs. No. 6 Sioux Center (20-5)
Time: 8 p.m
Top player: Kirkwood Community College’s Jenna Twedt (5-9, Sr.) is Benton’s all-time leading scorer, averaging 20.3 points and 3.5 assists per game. Much of the rest of the lineup is dominated by juniors, with McKenna Kramer (5-8) and Emma Townsley (5-8) scoring 9.5 and 9.2 points per game, respectively. Willow Bleeker (5-8, Sr.) is the leader of a balanced Sioux Center team with 12.2 points and 3.3 assists per game. Margo Schuiteman (6-0, soph.) is a spark off the bench, adding 8.6 ppg.
Trainer: Jeff Zittergruen has a 78-39 record in five years with Benton. Doug Winterfeld is a 379-166 record in 23 seasons at the Sioux Center.
How they got here: Benton prevailed in the Quarterfinals with a 40-34 win over No. 5 Des Moines Christian and then defeated No. 10 Vinton-Shellsburg 51-42 in the Semifinals. Sioux Center posted victories over No. 3 West Marshall (79-53) and No. 2 Solon (46-44).
BC Moore computer projection: Sioux Center from 4.
The other games on Friday
Class 2A semi-finals
No. 1 Dike-New Hartford (24-1) vs. No. 4 Sibley-Ocheyedan (22-3), 10 a.m
No. 2 Central Lyon (23-0) vs. No. 8 Pocahontas Area (21-4), 11:45 a.m
Class 1A semi-finals
No. 1 Algona Garrigan (24-1) vs. No. 4 Remsen St Mary’s (24-1), 1:30 p.m
Class 5A Championship
No. 1 Pleasant Valley (25-0) vs. No. 2 Johnston (24-1), 6 p.m
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