Pella’s girls basketball team jumped out to a 19-0 lead and cruised to a 72-19 home court victory last night in a game heard live on KRLS2.

The Dutch forced the Panthers into turnovers on their first ten possessions of the game, and Pella knocked down five three-pointers in the first quarter en route to a 31-6 lead. That advantage ballooned to 48-10 at the half, and Pella outscored Mount Pleasant 24-9 with the running clock on in the final 16 minutes.

While it was the second game of the season for the Dutch, it was the Panthers’ opener, which Pella coach Blaine Forsythe says provided a bit of a challenge.

“It was a tough scout because we didn’t know what to expect. We didn’t know who their starters were and we were kind of unsure of what they were going to do offensively and defensively. So to be able to come out and adjust on the fly, I was really proud of our girls and the effort that they gave and how unselfish they were with the basketball.”

Kennedy Van Vark scored 12 points in the first quarter and led three Dutch scorers in double figures with 19. Alaiyah Riddick added 11 and Tristan Gordon chipped in 10. Pella out-rebounded Mount Pleasant 29-24 and forced 39 Panther turnovers, including 27 steals.

The Dutch are now 2-0 on the season and will join the boys for the first doubleheader of the season next Tuesday night at North Polk.