A 22-point third quarter explosion has sent the Pella High girls basketball team into the state semifinals with a 47-43 win over Lewis Central yesterday in a game heard live on 92.1 KRLS.

The Lady Dutch trailed 19-15 after a sluggish first half that saw a combined 15 turnovers and less than 30-percent shooting.

Pella outscored the Titans 22-10 in the third quarter to take a lead they would never relinquish.

The star of the third quarter was Pella’s Ciara Buchheit, who scored all 9 of her points in the decisive frame, grabbed four of her game high 9 rebounds, stole two passes early in the run and also blocked a shot. Assistant coach Wade Van Vark credited the senior guard with lifting her team out of the halftime break.

“You could tell that she was not going to let this get away from us. Her energy level, her intensity, she even had a few rebounds in there even during that quarter. She decided that ‘I’m going to provide the spark we need, I’m going to light the fire’, and she did. She knocked down big shots, she got steals, she did everything that quarter. It was a lot of fun to watch.”

Kiara Bradley led the Lady Dutch with 18 points, and was given the one-on-one assignment for most of the game against Lewis Central’s leading scorer, Maegan Holt. The junior guard averaged more than 20 points per game during the regular season, but Bradley held her to just 11.

Pella is now 20-4 on the season, and for the second straight year, the win over the Titans means a matchup with Marion. The Lady Dutch and Indians will square off at 11:45 tomorrow morning, following the other 4-A semifinal between North Scott and Cedar Rapids Xavier.