Two local schools will go toe-to-toe to compete for a trip to the district final as PCM and Pleasantville’s boys’ basketball squads will square off in the second round of the playoffs.

 

The Mustangs won their first-round playoff matchup over Chariton Monday night, 74-38, thanks to a 28-point night from Durant Van Dyke. PCM currently sits at 13-9 on the season and finished the regular season with a 9-5 Heart of Iowa Conference record. The Mustangs have won eight of their last 11 games with their only losses coming to Roland-Story, Nevada, and Pella. Coach Fred Lorenson says that it is going to be a tall task stopping Pleasantville scoring sensation Mason Scheve.

 

“The key with him is that you don’t want him to get off early. If he starts making a few of those shots early, he’ll get in a groove and can make it a very tough night for you. Obviously we will try to pay some attention to him. He’s a great player and they’ve got a really nice team so it will be a good challenge for us.”

 

The Trojans enter postseason play with a 12-9 record and a 9-6 West Central Conference record. Pleasantville won five of their final seven games of the season, with wins over Chariton, Woodward Academy, Woodward-Granger, West Central Valley, and Interstate-35. The Trojans will be relying on one of the best scorers in school history, Mason Scheve, to carry them to the postseason.

 

This will be the first time the two teams have met since 2009. In the three matchups between the two squads, PCM has come out on top in all three games. The two teams met in the postseason 13 years ago yesterday and the Mustangs won, 55-48. Both teams have struggled against teams above .500 this season, with just one combined win against teams with winning records.

 

The game will take place at Des Moines Christian High School and gets underway at 6:30 PM. Pre-game coverage begins at 6:15 PM and will be broadcast on the KRLS3 stream at kniakrls.com with Alex Koch on the call.