For nearly 36 minutes, the Pella boys basketball team gave #2 Waverly-Shell Rock all they could handle, but a last second foul and free throw made by the Go-Hawks was the difference in an overtime thriller heard live on 92.1 KRLS Tuesday. The Dutch fell 65-64 in the Class 3A state quarterfinals.

Pella showed early they were in Des Moines for a game, and at one point, built a seven-point lead in the 1st quarter. The Go-Hawks countered, earning a four-point advantage by late in the 2nd frame. Neither team would lead by more than a possession from halftime and beyond. While the Dutch forced 14 Waverly turnovers, they had four of their own shots blocked and lost the rebound margin 33-24, and missed a few key free throws down the stretch that made the difference in overtime. Pella was able to tie the game at 64-all before committing a foul with just under two seconds remaining.

The Dutch were paced by 17 points by Jack McGuire, 12 from Brayden Traetow, and 10 from Luke Hardman. Pella finishes 2024 at 15-10 overall and says farewell to five seniors.