Homecoming 2018 was kind to the Pella Christian boys basketball team, while the girls came up short despite a valiant effort against 3rd-ranked Grinnell.

In a doubleheader heard live on our KRLS2 stream at www.kniakrls.com, the Tigers won the girls game 73-56, while Pella Christian took the boys game 66-47.

The Eagle girls held a surprising 12-4 lead with 1:00 left in the first quarter, but the quick-strike Tigers scored eight points in 15 seconds to tie the game. They then nailed six three-pointers as part of a 29-point second quarter, and pulled away in the fourth despite several P.C. rallies.

Kaley Wilson scored 12 points to lead the Eagles, Emma Huisman and Lizzy Posthuma each added 10, and Morgan Fopma chipped in eight points and eight boards.

The boys game followed a similar pattern. Grinnell led 10-3 late in the first quarter, only to see Pella Christian rip off a 15-0 run over the next eight minutes of game action, and the Tigers never lead again. Eagles Coach Larry Hessing was all smiles after the game.

“We’re real pleased with how the guys stuck with it after getting off to a slow start. I was a little bit concerned with it being homecoming week, and I wondered if we spent all of our energy earlier in the day and earlier in the week. I thought our defense was really tremendous in the first half, and we did just enough on offense to gradually pull away.”

It was a true team effort, with 10 different Eagles getting into the scoring column, including four in double figures – Jake Pringle, Brett Roose and Alex Huisman all with 11 and Jack Vermeer with 10. Pella Christian out-rebounded Grinnell 36-21, led by Huisman’s 10.

Both Eagle teams are now 4-8 in Little Hawkeye Conference play with two games left – Tuesday at Dallas Center-Grimes and Thursday at Newton. The boys have a non-conference matchup late this afternoon against #2 Van Meter.