The #8 in 4A Pella girls basketball team rode a dominant second half to find themselves in the sweet 16 of the Regional Playoffs, knocking out Winterset 52-30 Saturday night, heard live on 92.1 KRLS.

In a game where they never trailed, Pella didn’t hit their stride until after halftime — even as the Huskies buried themselves deep in foul trouble, 10 first-half turnovers kept the scoreboard tight through 16 minutes.

Kylie Tauke led a surge in the 3rd quarter with back-to-back threes right out of the gates, and gave the Dutch a comfortable margin they’d slowly build until the final horn. Pella Head Coach Blaine Forsythe was excited to see the energy coming out of halftime.

“We had so many different girls step up in different ways and really played their role extremely well. I am proud of how our players responded throughout the game. We were able to adjust and find our rhythm late in the 2nd quarter and picked up the intensity in the 2nd half to extend our lead.”

A massive rebounding edge that finished 51-19, including 15 second half offensive boards, gave the home team all the extra time and possessions they needed. Tauke finished with 15 points, while Kennedy Van Vark scored 10, and Eliza Van Zee and Mia Warner each nabbed 11 rebounds.

Pella’s girls are 17-5 overall and welcome Glenwood on Tuesday for the Class 4A Region 8 final. The Rams knocked out #12 in 4A Lewis Central 49-45, and are seeking a fourth consecutive state tournament appearance, while the Dutch are trying for an 11th all-time appearance and first since 2017.