The Pella girls gave the top team in Class 4A their toughest test in the conference season, while the Dutch boys struggled to keep up in the second half against the Mustangs in the final Little Hawkeye Conference doubleheader of the season heard live on 92.1 KRLS Friday.

No. 8 in Pella fell to top-ranked Dallas Center-Grimes 51-45 while the boys lost 64-49 to the Mustangs.

Pella’s girls stayed within two possessions of the favorite to win the 4A title heading into the postseason until they pulled ahead briefly and late in the 3rd quarter. A burst of momentum continued for the Dutch, who ended up leading by five points with 4:49 remaining in the 4th quarter. But, DCG showed why they’ve been highly ranked all season and undefeated against conference foes, and rattled off a late 12-0 run to flip the script and ultimately stay perfect in the league this winter.

“We put together 4 solid quarters and gave ourselves a chance at the end. We look forward to learning from this and continuing this journey together. I credit our team committing to their roles and our style of play in order to finish with a share of 2nd place in a tough Little Hawkeye Conference,” said head coach Blaine Forsythe.

Kylie Tauke and Kennedy Van Vark each scored 11 points in the regular season finale, and the Warner sisters Mia and Abby each scored nine.

While a back-and-forth first half opened for the Pella boys, the road team was never able to grab a lead as DCG defended their home court in the nightcap. The Mustangs hit the Dutch defense relentlessly in the post, and took a six-point lead to 16 in a matter of minutes from the end of the 3rd quarter into the 4th and didn’t look back. Luke Keitges led the Dutch with 10 points.

Pella’s girls finish the regular season 16-5 overall and 11-3 in the Little Hawkeye Conference (their best mark since 2016-17) — good for a share of 2nd place, while the Dutch boys drop to 11-9 overall and finish the league season at 6-8 in a tie for 5th with Pella Christian. The Dutch boys head to Mt. Pleasant Tuesday and the girls are off until the regional playoffs begin next Saturday at home vs. Oskaloosa or Winterset.