Eagles Topple Pella in Tulip City Showdown Classic
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While the season ended with a 15th trip to state for the Pella Chrisitan boys basketball team, what we called the best moment of the Eagles’ 2019-20 athletics season was an incredible double overtime victory over their Tulip City showdown rival in what was unquestionably the best basketball game that aired on KNIA/KRLS this past winter and one of the best played ever in the longtime rivalry.
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It took two overtimes in a contest that neither team ever led by more than one possession at the end of any of the six periods to determine a winner in an instant boys basketball classic heard live on 92.1 KRLS on December 6th, as Pella Christian narrowly defeated crosstown rival Pella 84-83 Friday night.
The Dutch and Eagles proved to be evenly-matched in front of a packed house at Pella High School, with the home team boys in green and white jumping to several early advantages in the first and second quarters, only for the Eagles — decked in new black uniforms, to keep jumping back into the fray despite the early deficits. Pella claimed the 18-15 advantage after one quarter and held a 34-32 lead at the break, only for the Eagles to flip the score in their favor after three periods at 23-20 to take a narrow one-point edge into the 4th quarter. Several key plays spread among both Tulip City high school rosters kept each team from pulling away from one another, eventually forcing the first and second overtime periods.
The key stretch for Pella Christian came when they found themselves down by five points in the first overtime period, but behind a Bryant Agre three-point play and Jack Vermeer layup, found a way to scratch back in the final minute of OT and force an additional four minutes.
Pella kept the pressure on, taking an early lead in the second overtime period, only for the teams to exchange haymakers halfway through the extra OT period, with Agre and John Oltman trading threes and firing up both crowds, before Josh Van Gorp scored the deciding basket with 50 seconds to spare. The Dutch had their big shot with five seconds remaining, but Oltman just missed a three point basket to win the game, and time expired to give the Eagles a win and a court-storming celebration by the student section.
Several big contributions were made from both teams in the classic match-up. Pella Christian was led by a 23 point, 14 rebound night by Josh Van Gorp; 16 points and three steals by Dan Jungling; 13 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocked shots by Ryan Vande Haar; 12 points by Jack Vermeer; and nine critical points from Bryant Agre, who scored all of his baskets in the two overtime periods.
Pella’s Treyton Sturgeon was a key player for the green and white, with 18 points, seven rebounds, five steals, and three blocks; John Oltman hit five threes to rack up 16 points and tally nine boards; Josh Warner finished with 15 points, eight of which came in the third quarter to keep Pella close with a big Eagles charge, and Logan Shetterly scored 14 points, stole three Eagles passes, and dished five assists.
The Little Dutch would avenge the loss later in the season, with an 87-79 win on Eagle Lane. Both Pella and Pella Christian finished at the 2020 state basketball tournament.