Defending Champion Unity Christian the top seed in the 3A tournament will meet #4 seed Estherville Lincoln Central in the upper bracket semifinal Thursday afternoon at 1:30 pm. The winner moves on to the title game on Friday at 8:00 pm.
Unity battled through a tough Davenport Assumption defense to earn a 40-37 victory in the opening game of Class 3A play on Monday. It was a back-and-forth affair that wasn’t decided until a long Assumption inbounds pass went astray just before the final buzzer.
Tyra Schuiteman led Unity (24-1) with 14 points and 14 rebounds and made the game’s biggest play on defense. Eighth-seeded Assumption trailed 38-37 in the final minute and was working for a potential go-ahead basket when Schuiteman leaped and intercepted a pass in front of the Assumption bench. She was fouled immediately and sank two free throws with 27.8 seconds remaining for the final margin.
Gracie Schoonhoven added 13 points, half her season average, and grabbed seven rebounds. Jenna Bouma had 10 points and eight rebounds for the defending champs, who outrebounded Assumption 37-25 and blocked six shots – three by the 6-foot Schuiteman.
A steady presence at the free throw line and some solid defense sent Estherville-Lincoln Central into the Class 3A semifinals.
Senior Kaitlyn Tendal scored 17 points and freshman Haylee Stokes added 16 to lead ELC past Sergeant Bluff-Luton 49-34 for its 12th straight victory on Monday.
Fourth-seeded ELC, making its eighth trip to state, will take a 24-2 record against top-seeded and defending champion Unity Christian in the semifinals.
Sergeant Bluff-Luton missed its first nine shots in falling behind 13-3 and could not recover. ELC shot just 29 percent (11-for-38) but compensated by making 24 of 34 free throws, Stokes going 10-for-11 at the line and Tendal 7-for-9. Stokes the freshman, who shows star potential in her first year of high school ball, added five rebounds, five steals, four assists and a block to her stat line.
ELC held the Warriors without a basket until Katelyn Sale converted a three-point play at the 5:48 mark in the second quarter. ELC led 23-15 at halftime and the Warriors never got closer than six points after that.
