For the second straight season, Pella’s girls basketball season ended with a loss in the regional final to rival Grinnell. Last night, the Tigers bested the Lady Dutch 59-40 in a game heard live on 92.1 KRLS.

After Pella jumped to an early 9-6 lead, Grinnell kept the Lady Dutch off the scoreboard for nearly a quarter in building a 23-9 advantage. While Pella trimmed the deficit to five in the second quarter and seven in the third, they never really threatened and the Tigers led by double digits most of the final 20 minutes.

Lady Dutch coach Jerod Garland says that he’s proud of the way the team fought in the final game of its season.

“In a lot of ways, I thought it was actually one of our better games despite the fact we lost by 19 points. I thought the fight and hustle was really good, and we needed to do that because this team will do that to you. They’re so quick and athletic. Overall, we kept them to 59, and I’m not sure how many times they’ve been under 60 points in a game, maybe twice all year. So, defensively, we’re pretty proud of our effort.”

Macy Harris and Naomi Jackson combined to score 47 of Grinnell’s 59 points as the Tigers advance to the class 4A state tournament for the third consecutive season.

Emily Holterhaus had 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Lady Dutch, who conclude 2018-2019 with a record of 15-7.