Holding an 11-point lead at intermission over the No. 2-ranked team in Class 4A, Pella High quickly saw their lead evaporate on four consecutive three-pointers in the third period, as they fell to West Des Moines Valley last night, 68 – 57. Defense was sound for the Little Dutch in the first 16 minutes, and Ryan Van Wyk took control of the interior, scoring nine of his team-high 15 points in the second period. However, the Tigers dominated the offensive glass in the second half, after missing a flurry of shots, found their range from outside the arc and hit a massive eight triples on route to a 32-point quarter. Pella got as close as five in the final frame, but could not get any closer. After the game, Coach Mark Core felt that his team battled and almost came away with one against a difficult opponent.

“We were just playing the game one possession at a time,” Core stressed. “Quite honestly, I know they had their big run to start the third quarter, but quite honestly, over the course of a 32-minute game I thought we had, for the most part, quality possessions on the offensive end. We had the defensive breakdowns primarily as a result of not blocking out, but all things concerned, I think we played very well.”

Will Warner was in foul trouble for most of the contest, but still managed to dump in 14 points, and Payson Vande Lune scored 11. The loss is Pella’s first of the season, dropping them to 7 – 1 overall. They’ll resume conference play this Friday on the road at Norwalk.