Pella Christian Knocks Off No. 1 Norwalk
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Pella Christian’s boys basketball team continues to be well-represented on the countdown of top moments from 2019-20, and for good reason, and our No. 5 moment takes us to the night they beat an eventual state champion.

It’s not often any team could hang tough with the top team from Class 3A this past winter, especially when they unquestionably had the state’s best player regardless of class and on their home floor. But on a night when 2020 Mr. Iowa Basketball Bowen Born dropped a career high 55 points in his gym, it was the Eagles who played spoiler, and came away with a 71-68 win on January 28th.

FULL GAME HIGHLIGHTS:

After Pella Christian tied the game at the buzzer before the half with a long shot from Jack Vermeer, the teams were tied or changed leads 11 times in the 2nd half. The Eagles held off several late attempts from Norwalk to win the game.

Vermeer said after that game it was the signature win this Eagles team had been searching for ever since their thrilling victory over Pella in December, and showed how deep and balanced they had become to that point in the season.

“Man, it was crazy, to know we haven’t beat this team in two years,” he says. “It’s incredible and I love these guys, and it was a hard-fought, team win and everyone stepped up when they needed to.”

Vermeer scored 13 points, as did Dan Jungling. Josh Van Gorp scored 15 points and collected 15 rebounds, and Keean Cadwell added eight points, nabbed 10 rebounds, and dished six assists.