Des Moines, Iowa — West Lyon rode Brooklyn Meyer’s triple-double into the Class 3A semifinals.
Meyer scored 15 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked 10 shots to tie the five class tournament record as the fourth-ranked Wildcats overwhelmed No. 5 West Burlington 52-30 for their 23rd straight victory. Hayley Knoblock added 13 points and six rebounds for West Lyon, while Kennedy Kramer had nine points, four assists and four steals.
With the 6-foot-2 Meyer and 6-foot Knoblock clogging the middle, West Burlington had a tough time getting good shots inside. Still, the Falcons trailed just 29-27 midway through the third quarter before West Lyon took control.
The Wildcats finished the quarter with an 8-0 run to open a 37-27 lead, then held West Burlington scoreless over the final 6:54 while scoring the game’s final 13 points to win going away.
West Lyon held the Falcons to 32.4 percent shooting and used its height to build a 31- 19 rebounding advantage.
Meyer, one of the state’s top shot blockers with an average of 4.4 per game, is a junior and has committed to South Dakota State. She made only two baskets but consistently drew fouls and went 11-for-14 on free throws. She was 6-for-6 at the line in the third quarter to help her team keep the lead despite shooting just 2-for-9 from the field.
Natalie Vandenberg’s 10 points led West Burlington, which lost for only the second time in 23 games. The Falcons reached the state tournament for the first time since making back-to-back appearances in 1976 and 1977.
West Lyon, at state for the first time since finishing second in the 1998 2A tournament, will take a 23-1 record against top-ranked Cherokee in a semifinal game at 2 p.m. Thursday.
