On to State vs. Osky – Little Dutch Second Half Surge Pushes Pella to the Well
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The number one moment from the athletic season in 2019-20 at Pella High School took place against a long-time rival in another rival’s gymnasium, in one of the greatest atmospheres for high school basketball in recent memory for the green and white.
Second-ranked Pella knocked out defending champion Oskaloosa 62-51 last night in the Substate 6 final at Knoxville High School in a game heard live on 92.1 KRLS, and in the process the Little Dutch punched their own ticket to state on March 2nd.
It was a back and forth first half, with the Indians taking a 33-30 advantage into intermission behind a 17-point effort from Iowa State commit Xavier Foster. The Indians stretched that lead to 38-32 midway through the third before the Little Dutch caught fire in front of a capacity crowd that showed up and packed the stands long before the opening tip.
Those long balls ignited a spark that led to a 12-0 Pella run, and by the middle of the fourth quarter, the Little Dutch had scored 24 of the last 26 points to open up a 56-40 lead. The Indians never got it closer than the final margin of 11, sending Pella back to the state tournament for the first time since 2017 and the 17th.
Logan Shetterly joined us live during the postgame show, and talked about the hard work he and fellow seniors John Oltman and Treyton Sturgeon had put in to make their dream come true.
“Since third grade, we’ve been dreaming of it and watching all the teams. We watched Coach Forsythe and we watched the ‘17 team make it to state. It’s been so much work and dedication to do this. And, actually, [Tuesday] is the one year anniversary of my grandpa’s passing. That was a special moment for me and my dad.”
Shetterly led Pella with 29 points and Sturgeon added 13. Pella lost in the quarterfinals to Sergeant Bluff-Luton to end the season, which was the last sporting event for Marion County schools for 97 days, until baseball and softball returned in June.
On to state! Final@PellaBasketball 62
Oskaloosa 51#iahsvkb @loganshetterly scores 29 pts and Pella is back to state for the 17th time in program history, and first time since 2017! pic.twitter.com/1ansCoMPle— Andrew Schneider, Jr (@xzono) March 3, 2020
