Pella’s basketball teams each picked up their first conference win of the season last night with a doubleheader sweep at Newton as heard live on 92.1 KRLS. The girls led wire-to-wire in a 59-33 victory while the boys broke open a tight game at halftime for a 70-62 decision.

In the girls game, the Dutch raced out to an 11-2 lead that ballooned to 23-8 by the end of the first quarter and 38-19 at halftime. Bolstered by the return from injury of Alaiyah Riddick and Sophia Reynolds, Pella used 12 players in the first quarter as its defensive effort and up-tempo offense set the tone.

For Reynolds, she was making her season debut. The senior transferred to Pella from Newton and saw her first action on the court that she spent the last three years of her career. She finished with four points and a rebound. All told, 13 Pella players scored, led by Kennedy Van Vark’s 13. Everyone else was between two and six. The Dutch improve to 6-2 on the season and 1-1 in the Little Hawkeye Conference.

The first half of the boys game was a see-saw affair, with numerous lead changes and neither team led by more than four. The Cardinals took a 33-32 advantage to the break, but the Dutch bolted out of the locker room with a 10-0 spurt to start the third quarter. When Newton scored on the opening possession of the fourth quarter to cut Pella’s lead to 50-46, another 10-0 Dutch run put the game away.

Luke Hardman scored 20 points, including 8-of-10 from the free throw line, while Jack McGuire added 19 points and a team-high six rebounds. Pella improves to .500 with a 3-3 overall record and 1-1 mark in league play.

Up next for both Dutch squads is a non-conference doubleheader at home Tuesday night against Knoxville.