3A Substate Semifinal Picks

<table style="height: 357px; width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse;" border="y"> <tbody> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Game</strong></span></td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Pick</strong></span></td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Reasoning</strong></span></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Storm Lake at Carroll</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Carroll</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Tigers erased a 5-point halftime deficit in the opening round, outscoring Sioux Center 44-16 in the second half. When they’re locked in, few teams can beat them. They take advantage of a Storm Lake squad that struggles with turnovers and come out focused from the jump. [player_tooltip player_id="962631" first="Kaleb" last="Booth"], [player_tooltip player_id="962671" first="Nick" last="Macke"] backcourt have big nights.</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Sergeant Bluff-Luton at LeMars</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Sergeant Bluff-Luton</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">LeMars swept the season series, but as they always do, Sergeant Bluff-Luton is peaking at the right time, winning 8 straight. Warriors lock down high-scoring Bulldogs attack and grind out a tough win to advance to another substate final. </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Spencer at Clear Lake</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Clear Lake</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Lions will have their hands full with Spencer wing [player_tooltip player_id="682284" first="Karter" last="Petzenhauser"], but Tigers will struggle to contain [player_tooltip player_id="796155" first="Andrew" last="Formanek"] as well. Lions get just enough stops to grind out a tough win.</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Humboldt at Algona</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Algona</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Teams split the season series, but Algona is the hotter team, winning 8 of their last 9. Bulldogs get the home-court edge and sneak out a tight win in the game of the night.</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Waverly-Shell Rock at Western Dubuque</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Western Dubuque</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Bobcats have the perfect formula to beat W-SR - bomb away from 3 - and they’ve got a lot of high-level shooters. They’re able to avoid the shot-blocking [player_tooltip player_id="796182" first="Caleb" last="Burks"] in the paint and make it rain 3s all night as they advance to Monday’s substate final. </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Decorah at Crestwood</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Crestwood</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Split the regular-season series, with Crestwood winning 69-51 on Jan. 21 and Decorah 52-51 on Feb. 16. Edge to Crestwood for being at home and having the game’s most impactful player in senior guard [player_tooltip player_id="965115" first="Carter" last="Henry"].</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Maquoketa at Solon</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Solon</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Spartans swept the season series and have more offensive weapons, better defense. Big game from [player_tooltip player_id="796195" first="David" last="Bluder"] sends Solon to Monday night.</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Central DeWitt at Monticello</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Monticello</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">There were some questions about how the Panthers would handle a 3A opponent after playing almost entirely 2A competition during the season, but they pounded V-S 56-26. 3A’s best scoring defense finds a way to lock down DeWitt big man Shawn Gilbert, scrapes together just enough offense to advance.</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Xavier at Assumption</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Assumption</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Texas signee [player_tooltip player_id="678937" first="Emarion" last="Ellis"] is back in the lineup after missing over a month with an injury, and the Knights are a different team with him on the floor. Assumption does whatever they want on both ends and posts an impressive win over Xavier.</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Mount Pleasant at Mount Vernon</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Mount Vernon</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Mount Pleasant struggles to defend the high-scoring duo of South Dakota-bound [player_tooltip player_id="530135" first="Keaton" last="Kutcher"] and senior wing [player_tooltip player_id="964883" first="Jayden" last="Meeker"]. Mustangs make life tough on the Panthers on the other end as well, cruise to double-digit win.</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Newton at Pella</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Pella</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Pella won the first meeting by 38, but Newton kept it much closer the second time around, losing by just 5. Cardinals will need to knock down 3s to step competitive here as the Dutch are rolling, averaging 84.4 points a game in their last five. Too much Dutch firepower sends Pella to the substate final. </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Grinnell at Washington</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Grinnell</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Tigers pull another postseason upset behind strong guard play of [player_tooltip player_id="796150" first="AJ" last="Wilkins"], [player_tooltip player_id="796166" first="Cole" last="McGriff"]. Major SOS edge to Grinnell here. </td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Gilbert at Ballard</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Ballard</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">No contest here as this should be one of the most lopsided games of the night. Bombers swept the season series by an average of 41.5 points a game. The top-ranked team rolls into the substate final.</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Bondurant-Farrar at Winterset</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Winterset</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Should be one of the better games of the night. Teams split in the regular season and both feature high-scoring guards - B-F’s [player_tooltip player_id="956874" first="Colby" last="Collison"] and Winterset’s Levi Gurwell. Huskies supporting cast, and home court, give them the edge.</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">ADM at Dallas Center-Grimes</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Dallas Center-Grimes</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">The best backcourt in 3A basketball destroyed ADM in the season-opener, 76-38. Expect a slightly closer game this time around, but too much [player_tooltip player_id="682270" first="Cole" last="Glasgow"], [player_tooltip player_id="796144" first="Luke" last="Rankin"], and Bo Huston as the Mustangs roll into Monday night.</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Atlantic at Glenwood</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Glenwood</td> <td style="width: 33.3333%; height: 21px; text-align: center;">Red-hot Rams have won 12 straight games and swept the Trojans in the regular season. [player_tooltip player_id="796117" first="Ryan" last="Blum"] averaged 25.5 points a game in the two meetings, Atlantic has no answer.</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>&nbsp;</p>