A strong start faded for the Pella Christian girls basketball team in a 54-37 loss to Des Moines Christian Monday night, while the boys basketball team couldn’t overcome a slow start in a 61-50 defeat.

In the opening game of the doubleheader heard live on 92.1 KRLS, the Eagle girls hung tough with the Lions in the first half, but struggled down the stretch in the loss. The short-handed Pella Christian squad was tied with Des Moines Christian 11-11 at the end of the first quarter, and trailed just 24-23 at halftime. The offense went cold from there, as the Eagles managed just 14 points in the second half and couldn’t keep up with the Lions, as they fell to 3-5 overall on the season. Rachel Kacmarynski and Brynn Runner each posted double-figures in the loss, with Kacmarynski scoring 13 points and Runner adding 10.

The Pella Christian boys faltered out the gate in the nightcap of the twin bill, as Des Moines Christian used their speed and defensive pressure to build up a 22-10 first quarter lead. The Lions kept the pressure on in the second quarter, extending their lead to 37-16 at halftime, and maintaining a 48-27 advantage heading into the final eight minutes of play. The Eagles continued to battle in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit down to as few as 11 points, but couldn’t climb out of the early hole as they fell to 3-2 overall. Landon Fransman was the lone Pella Christian player to reach double-figures with 10 points, while Wyatt Snyder and Deacon Branderhorst each had nine points in the loss.

The Eagles basketball teams get two days to rest up, before wrapping up the 2024 portion of the schedule with a non-conference doubleheader at Grand View Christian on Thursday night that can be heard live on 92.1 KRLS.