#1 (4A) Pella defeated #8 (2A) Pella Christian 52-44 in girls basketball last night, while the #5 (2A) Eagles outlasted the #3 (3A) Little Dutch 54-52 in overtime in the boys contest.
In the opener, the Eagle girls were expected to struggle against Pella’s pressure, but precision passing and a patient offensive approach allowed Pella Christian to build a 23-16 lead with less than 3 minutes to go in the first half.
Pella then closed the second quarter on a 7-0 run to tie the game 23-23 at halftime, and they scored the first 10 points of the third quarter to take control. The Eagles never got within seven points the rest of the way.
In the pivotal second half, the Lady Dutch out-rebounded Pella Christian 19-11, and only committed four turnovers, compared to the Eagles’ 11.
Coming off the bench, Emily Holterhaus led Pella with 14 points and 9 rebounds. Ciara Buchheit chipped in 13 points and Katie Vander Molen addded 11. Pella Christian was paced by Brooke Mitrisin’s 15 and Kaley Wilson’s 14, all of which came in the second half.
Pella improves to 4-0 on the season, 2-0 in the Little Hawkeye Conference, and they’ll play Tuesday at home against Fairfield. Pella Christian drops to 5-1, 1-1 in the LHC, and hosts Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont on Monday night.
The boys game was a tight, physical contest that needed an extra four minutes to decide a winner. Pella Christian led by one at the end of the first quarter, two at halftime, and one at the end of the third before finally building a six-point advantage with less than two minutes to play.
The Little Dutch are not a team to panic, however, and when Donovan Holterhaus converted on an and-one three-point play, Pella had pulled even at 50-50. Levi Jungling’s 17-foot jumper at the buzzer missed, and the teams headed to overtime.
Pella Christian won the tap and took well over a minute off the clock before turning the ball over without attempting a shot. After a Pella turnover, Jungling’s bucket gave the Eagles a 52-50 lead, only to be answered by a Ryan Van Wyk basket to re-tie the score.
Jungling and David Kacmarynski each hit one free throw to make it 54-52 Pella Christian, with the Little Dutch then rebounding a Kacmarynski miss with 11 seconds left and a chance to tie. Pella couldn’t find an open look, and Nick Finney’s 17-foot leaner from the top of the key fell short, sending Eagle fans into euphoria. It’s Pella Christian’s first win over Pella since 2013.
Kacmarynski scored 10 points and added 9 rebounds, with Graham Howerzyl also chipping in 10 for P.C. Van Wyk’s 15 led Pella, with Finney scoring 11 and Holterhaus adding 10 points and 9 boards.
Both teams are now 3-1 overall and 1-1 in Little Hawkeye Conference play. Pella plays Tuesday as part of the home doubleheader against Fairfield, while Pella Christian is off until next Friday at Norwalk.