Following a pattern that’s lasted a half-decade, the Grinnell girls and Pella boys were winners in a Little Hawkeye Conference doubleheader heard live last night on the KRLS2 stream at www.kniakrls.com. The Tiger girls won their 11th in a row over the Dutch, 61-51, while Pella’s boys made it 18 straight against Grinnell, 66-42.

It was a battle for the 6th-ranked Dutch boys, who led just 34-31 at halftime against a Tiger team looking for it’s first Little Hawkeye Conference victory. Pella out-rebounded Grinnell 22-12 in the second half, including seven offensive rebounds, and Derek Schulte’s team clamped down on the defensive end, allowing just 11 points in the final 16 minutes as they pulled away.

“We knew that to get separation we had to string together more stops and really lock in on that defensive end. I thought finally in the second half we were able to string together those stops, get out in transition just a little bit more, and create a run that got us some separation late.”

Karl Miller scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Pella and Noah Allen added 16 points as the Dutch improve to 13-6 on the season and 9-4 in Little Hawkeye Conference play.

In the girls game, Grinnell knocked down six first quarter three pointers as they opened up a 17-point lead. Pella battled back within eight at the end of the third quarter, but the Tigers buried two more long balls to get it back to double digits, eventually building a 20-point advantage before a late Dutch flurry provided the final 10-point Grinnell victory.

While Pella didn’t have anyone in double figures, five players scored eight or more points, including Anna Childerston, Anna Vander Waal and Hailey Van Vark all with nine.  The Dutch fall to 11-9 and 6-7 in the LHC.

Both Pella teams are back in action tomorrow night to close out conference action at cross-town rival Pella Christian.