In a pair of top ten basketball showdowns in Grimes, it was the #4 Pella boys finding a mid-season signature win at #1 Dallas Center-Grimes 62-57, while the #9 in 4A Dutch girls found a more difficult road in a 54-25 loss to the #4 Mustangs, as heard live on 92.1 KRLS Friday.

Pella’s boys overcame an early 9-3 deficit and tough perimeter defense fueled a 14-minute stretch that led to an 11-point Dutch lead at the half. But as the Mustangs have done all season, they found an early 3rd quarter 10-0 run to close the gap and from there, the margin largely stayed between one-two possessions for the remainder of the game. As DCG was closing in on the scoreboard in the 4th, Noah Allen came up with a pair of threes that provided critical late separation. Karl Miller finished with 17 points — including the final two free throws that iced a road win that opens up the Little Hawkeye Conference boys basketball race and puts the defending champs back in the drivers’ seat of Class 3A for now. Pella improves to 7-2 overall and 4-1 in league play, and next hits the road to PCM for a non-conference varsity boys contest.

The Dutch girls kept close with the top 5 Mustangs in the opener in a 12-8 1st quarter, but disaster struck from there, as DCG outscored Pella 23-2 in the next eight minute period before the half and never looked back. Pella drops to 8-3 and 3-2 against conference opponents, and will join the boys for a pair of home doubleheaders next week, starting with Grinnell Tuesday.