Pella’s defense picked up where they left off in the previous girls basketball season in a dominating 70-43 opening win over Atlantic, as heard live on 92.1 KRLS Friday.

The Dutch forced 39 Trojan turnovers — 27 of which were steals, which led to 76 total shots from the field for the green and white. That combination of defense to offense eventually allowed the home team to pull away, according to Head Coach Blaine Forsythe.

“Our defense set the tone and we learned a lot about where we are at with what we are trying to do. The players came out with a lot of energy and were locked into being themselves. Each player played their role extremely well. Offensively we valued the basket in the way we were unselfish, found open teammates, and didn’t turn it over. Good things happen when you are finding the open player. This was a great start to the season and a great foundation for our basketball team.”

Postgame with Tristan Gordon:

Pella was paced by a 26 point performance from Kennedy Van Vark, Abby Warner nabbed eight steals, and Katie Scheckel and Tristan Gordon each scored seven points. The Dutch girls open at 1-0 and next host Mt. Pleasant Tuesday (KRLS2/Pella Dutch Live).