Games of the Week (Week 8)
MONDAY (Jan. 21) Game of the night: Dubuque Wahlert at Cedar Rapids Prairie This MVC matchup, originally scheduled for last Tuesday, features two teams with pairs of high scoring guards. Wahlert is led by the junior combination of Jacob Schockemoehl…
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Continue ReadingMONDAY (Jan. 21)
Game of the night: Dubuque Wahlert at Cedar Rapids Prairie
This MVC matchup, originally scheduled for last Tuesday, features two teams with pairs of high scoring guards. Wahlert is led by the junior combination of Jacob Schockemoehl (19.1) and Cael Schmitt (14.3), while Prairie is led by senior twins Keegan (19.5) and Kris (19.4) Murray. Schockemoehl and the Murray twins each rank within the top 10 in scoring in the conference, and each are strong shooters who are capable of getting red hot and lighting up the scoreboard. The difference here is that Prairie has far superior size, across the board, and they should be able to control the glass on both ends of the floor. Their starting lineup goes 6-0, 6-5, 6-8, 6-7, 6-7, with plenty of length and athleticism, and they should be able to keep the rest of the Wahlert role players at bay. Schockemoehl and Schmitt will get theirs, but as long as the Hawks hold the rebounding edge, they should pick up another quality win as they try to keep pace with Dubuque Senior and Cedar Falls in the Mississippi Division of the MVC.
Our pick: Cedar Rapids Prairie 68, Dubuque Wahlert 60
Others to monitor
Van Meter at Central Decatur
Calamus-Wheatland at Easton Valley
2A #1 North Linn at Edgewood-Colesburg
Lewis Central at 3A #3 Sergeant Bluff-Luton
TUESDAY (Jan. 22)
Game of the night: 3A #5 Norwalk at 2A #10 Pella Christian
A big week in the Little Hawkeye race for Norwalk kicks off on Tuesday with a trip to Pella Christian, who will be looking to get a little revenge from a 65-61 loss in these team’s first meeting back in early December. The Eagles recently gained another player in Jason Lai, who scored 11 against Des Moines Christian in his first game with PC. He gives a deep PC team another scoring threat. Before he became eligible, the Eagles had seven players averaging between 6.6 and 11.3 points a game. They’ll need to find a way to slow down high scoring guard Bowen Born (27.0 a game), who erupted for 37 in the Warriors’ four-point win earlier this season. Norwalk has won six straight heading into this week and they currently hold a half-game lead on Pella, who won the first meeting and who they meet on Friday night. We’re taking Pella Christian to pull off the minor upset here, with their balance and being at home the difference on Tuesday night.
Our pick: Pella Christian 65, Norwalk 62
Others to monitor
4A #5 West Des Moines Valley at Ames
Garner-Hayfield-Ventura at 1A #9 Bishop Garrigan
Dyersville Beckman at Central DeWitt
Aplington-Parkersburg at 2A #7 Dike-New Hartford
Sioux Center at 1A #5 George-Little Rock
3A #4 Pella at Indianola
West Delaware at 3A #1 Maquoketa
Davenport Assumption at 4A #1 North Scott
1A #2 New London at Burlington, Notre Dame
2A #9 Western Christian at Spencer
4A #8 Iowa City West at Waterloo West
Gehlen Catholic at 2A #2 West Sioux
THURSDAY (Jan. 24)
Game of the night: 2A #4 Boyden-Hull at 1A #5 George-Little Rock
The unbeaten Comets of Boyden-Hull could essentially wrap up the Siouxland Conference race with a win in George on Thursday night. They handed G-LR their only loss of the season back on December 4, and a season sweep would give them a two-game lead on the Mustangs heading down the stretch (every other Siouxland team has at least three league losses). The big story of the first meeting was the free throw line, as B-H shot 18-21 from the stripe, while G-LR was just 5-14, a 13-point difference in scoring in a 5-point game. Boyden-Hull is a balanced group, with four players averaging in double figures, led by Keyton Moser, who is averaging 16 a game. In a similar vein, G-LR has six players averaging at least 8.0 a night, which makes them a difficult team to defend. In what should be another close game, the free throw line could decide this game again, and advantage Boyden-Hull there. The Comets shoot 73.7% from the stripe as a team, while G-LR is just 63%. Boyden-Hull hands G-LR their second loss of the season, and pretty much wins the conference title on Thursday evening.
Our pick: Boyden-Hull 72, George-Little Rock 68
Others to monitor
3A #1 Maquoketa at Dyersville Beckman
Crestwood at 3A #2 Clear Lake
FRIDAY (Jan. 25)
Game of the night: 3A #4 Pella at 3A #5 Norwalk
The Dutch dominated the first meeting between these teams, handing Norwalk their lone conference loss, 84-66, in December. They jumped out to a 55-34 halftime lead in that game and shot 14-26 from behind the arc. While they’re a good shooting team (37.7 3P%), and have made the most 3s of any team in 3A, it’s hard to see them shooting that well again from deep. Pella is one of the hottest teams in the state, winners of nine straight games after a 2-2 start to the season, but they’ll face a tough test here, traveling to play a Warriors team that knows it needs this win if they want to keep pace in the LHC. Expect another up-tempo, highly entertaining game here, and Norwalk pulls out a narrow win behind another huge effort from Bowen Born, as the Warriors “limit” Pella to a slightly worse shooting night.
Our pick: Norwalk 74, Pella 70
Others to monitor
Ames at Ankeny
1A #7 Prince of Peace at Easton Valley
1A #10 South O’Brien at Gehlen Catholic
Omaha Skutt (NE) at 3A #9 Glenwood
2A #10 Pella Christian at Indianola
3A #10 Storm Lake at LeMars
3A #1 Maquoketa at Marion
3A #3 Sergeant Bluff-Luton at 4A #4 Sioux City East
Council Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln at Sioux City West
3A #2 Clear Lake at St. Edmond, Fort Dodge
Kuemper Catholic at 2A #5 Van Meter
4A #7 Cedar Falls at Waterloo East
SATURDAY (Jan. 26)
Game of the night: AAA #1 DeLaSalle (MN) at 4A #9 Des Moines North
The Polar Bears have a big-time opportunity to pick up a huge win on Saturday night against Minnesota powerhouse DeLaSalle. The Islanders won six straight AAA titles from 2012-17 before being upset in the semifinals last year. The point guard matchup in this one will be worth the price of admission alone, with DLS’ Tyrell Terry, a Stanford commit, taking on North’s Tyreke Locure, headed to South Alabama. Terry is a remarkably talented, playmaking guard with loads of talent around him, most notably Jamison Battle, a 6-7 wing, headed to George Washington, who is one of the best shooters in the Midwest. North is going to need to get big production out of guys like Gatdoar Bijiek, Lino Malual and Gore Puot, especially on the defensive end, if they’re going to get a big win here. If you’re in the Des Moines area, get to North for this one (tip at 5:00 pm), because it’s sure to be a highly entertaining affair.
Our pick: DeLaSalle (MN) 80, Des Moines North 75
Others to monitor
3A #7 Oskaloosa vs. Bishop Miege (KS)
Charles City at 2A #7 Dike-New Hartford
1A #8 Sioux Central at South Central Calhoun
4A #6 Dubuque Senior vs. Waunakee (WI)