The Iowa Boy’s State Basketball Tournament opens Monday at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. South O’Brien the sixth seed will open up first on Monday at 2:00 against three seed Maple Valley Anthon Oto. Our broadcast coverage begins at 1:40 with pregame on KIWA FM 105.3. We’ll stream from the website as well at www.kiwaradio.com.
The Wolverines are led by Dallas Jallas averaging 21 points per game game including 40.3 percent from 3-point range. Damon Struve is averaging 16.6 points per game including a 38 percent rate from 3-point range. As a team South O’Brien has hit 73.8 percent from the free throw line and 37.4 percent from behind the arc. South O’Brien is riding a 16 game winning streak.
Maple Valley Anthon Oto enters the State Tournament at 24-1 on the season in the midst of an 18 game winning streak. The Rams have three players averaging double figures with Korey Kuhlmann at 16.6 per game, Derrik Kerns at 15.2 and Shawn Flanigan at 14.6 points per game.
The rest of the field in 1A has 2 seed Danville against 7 seed West Hancock in the other upper bracket quarterfinal. In the lower bracket it’s top seed Gladbrook Reinbeck against 8 seed Nodaway Valley and 4 seed Belle Plaine against 5 seed Earlham.
In Class 2A Western Christian the defending State Champions come into this years tourney as the 2 seed with a record of 22-2. The Wolfpack open at 12:15 Tuesday against 7 seed Pella Christian who enters the tournament at 16-7. The Wolfpack have put up 73 points per game this season and are on an 11 game winning streak. Pella Christian has won six of their last 7 games. The Eagles have gotten hot in the post season putting together the three game winning streak they needed to get to the State Tournament.
Western has three players averaging double figures led by Josh VanLingen at 18.4 points per game, Taylor Miedema at 12.8 per game and Ben Gesink at 10.6 per game. Averaging 9.2 points per game Jesse Jansma has hit on 43.5 percent of 62 3-point field goal attempts.
Pella Christian has three players averaging double figures. Levi Jungling leads the offense at 17.3 per game followed by David Kacmarynski at 12.8 and Josh Posthuma at 10.6 points per game.
Pregame for Western and Pella Christian begins at 11:55 Tuesday morning with tip off set for 12:15.
The other lower bracket semi matches 3 seed Cascade and 6 seed Iowa City Regina. In the upper bracket the match ups are top seed Aplington Parkersburg against 8 seed Woodbury Acadamy and number 4 seed Forrest City against 5 seed Traynor.
We’ll bring you tournament coverage of both Western Christian and South O’Brien through out the tournament on KIWA FM 105.3. We’ll stream the action as well at www.kiwaradio.com.
