No. 3 Pella begins its state basketball tournament experience this afternoon against No. 6 Sergeant Bluff-Luton.

It’s a clash of styles as the fast-paced Dutch are the highest scoring team in Class 3A coming into the quarterfinals, while the tall Warriors have the 9th best defense.

Head Coach Derek Schulte says make-or-miss, Pella has to keep the pace up, grab as many extra possessions as they can off the backboard and pickpocketing passes, and rely on their talented scorers in a running and shooting game in order to advance to the semifinals.

“I think it’s going to be really big for us to get defensive stops and to really be able to win the battle on the glass,” he says. “Anytime somebody is big–they are going to send three guys with size to the glass and so not only to limit their second-chance opportunities, but by us getting clean boards and getting a good outlet, it allows us to get out in transition.”

Pregame coverage of Pella vs. Sergeant Bluff-Luton in the Class 3A state basketball tournament begins at 4:00 this afternoon on 92.1 KRLS, kniakrls.com, and the free KRLS mobile app, as Andrew Schneider and Phil Hemming will call the action from Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.