State Tournament: Monday Game Recaps

[player_tooltip player_id="1158456" first="Bennett" last="Berger"] had a game-high 13 points in the Lake Mills win

1A Quarterfinal: #4 Lake Mills 39, #5 Danville 22

It was rarely pretty, but that doesn’t matter to Lake Mills, who notched the first state tournament win in the school’s history on Monday morning. The fourth-seeded Bulldogs suffocated fifth-seeded Danville en route to a 39-22 win, advancing to Wednesday night’s semifinals where they’ll face either Grand View Christian or Bellevue.

Lake Mills never trailed, jumping out to a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter and holding Danville to just two first quarter points. The long, active defense of the Bulldogs clogged up any lanes that briefly opened in their defense, and Danville struggled to adjust to the odd shooting backdrop that Wells Fargo Arena provides. The Bears were able to briefly re-group and use their defense to claw to an 11-all tie at the half.

The second half was all Lake Mills, with their suffocating defense taking over the game and a more aggressive offensive approach looking to capitalize on an overly-aggressive Danville defense. The ’Dogs got strong second-half contributions across the board, but in particular from senior guards AJ Ramaker and Bennett Berger Bennett Berger 6'2" | PG Lake Mills | 2022 State IA , whose aggressive penetration opened up the Bulldogs offense and put constant pressure on the Bears defense.

Lake Mills (25-1) was led by Bennett Berger Bennett Berger 6'2" | PG Lake Mills | 2022 State IA , who had a game-high 13 points in the win. Seth Hermanson added 10 points off the bench, and Wyatt Helming Wyatt Helming 6'6" | SF Lake Mills | 2022 State IA had 6 points and 11 rebounds.

Danville’s season ends with a 23-3 record. The Bears struggled to get anything going offensively in their first state tournament appearance since 2016, shooting just 8-38 (21.1%) from the floor as a team. They were led by Caiden Gourley Caiden Gourley 6'5" | SG Danville | 2023 State IA , who had 10 points and 5 rebounds in the loss. The Bears will lose four starters from this team, but bring Gourley and a few key bench pieces back, and the program is headed back in the right direction under the guidance of the Soukup twins.

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	F
Danville	2	9	5	6	22
Lake Mills	7	4	14	14	39

Team stats
Danville: 8-38 FG (21.1%), 0-17 3P (0.0%), 6-10 FT (60.0%), 21 rebounds (7 offensive), 5 assists, 11 turnovers
Lake Mills: 13-32 FG (40.6%), 1-11 3P (9.1%), 12-17 FT (70.6%), 31 rebounds (7 offensive), 5 assists, 12 turnovers

MVP: 2022 Bennett Berger Bennett Berger 6'2" | PG Lake Mills | 2022 State IA (Lake Mills) -- 13 points (3-8 FG, 7-10 FT), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal

In a game without many individual standout performers, Berger played well and it was his constant attacking throughout the third and fourth quarters that really opened the game up for the Bulldogs. A heady 6-3 lead guard who sees the floor well and has the ability to finish with either hand around the bucket, he notched a game-high 13 points and handled Danville’s on-ball pressure defense well.

[player_tooltip player_id="1141465" first="Josh" last="Baucum"] had 14 points for the Thunder in their quarterfinal win

1A Quarterfinal: #1 Grand View Christian 64, #8 Bellevue 63 (OT)

In an ending that will be debated over the next few days, top-ranked Grand View Christian survived an overtime thriller against a Cinderella Bellevue team, advancing to Wednesday’s semifinals with a 64-63 win on Monday afternoon.

The undefeated Thunder looked every bit the part of the top team in the state throughout the first quarter, racing out to a 22-11 lead with their overwhelming blend of quickness and talent. But the Comets were not going to go down with a fight, battling back to within nine points, 35-26, at the half.

In the third quarter, Bellevue threw a triangle-and-two look at Grand View Christian, looking to take away Manny Hammonds Manny Hammonds 6'2" | SG Grand View Christian | 2022 State IA and Josh Baucum Josh Baucum 6'1" | SG Grand View Christian | 2022 State IA , the Thunder’s pair of dynamic scoring guards, and it worked exactly as they wanted. The pair came in to this game averaging a combined 42.9 points a game, but attempted just 16 shots between them and scored 22 points.

Bellevue kept chipping away, using their athleticism and physicality to pound the offensive glass to the tune of 26 offensive boards in the game. They got the deficit down to five points, 42-37, by the end of the third quarter.

After Josh Baucum Josh Baucum 6'1" | SG Grand View Christian | 2022 State IA split a pair of free throws with 1:23 to play in regulation, Jackson Mueller buried a 3-pointer to cut the Thunder lead to 51-49. Noah John made a pair, then Mueller followed up his own miss with a bucket to trim it back down to two. John split a pair with 23.6 to play, and then Colby Sieverding Colby Sieverding 5'9" | PG Bellevue | 2022 State IA hit an off-balance, wild 3-point attempt reminiscent of the Marcus Paige 3 in the national championship game a few years ago to tie the game with 10.3 seconds left. Josh Baucum Josh Baucum 6'1" | SG Grand View Christian | 2022 State IA got a good look at a game-winner but it missed the mark, and the game headed to overtime.

The teams traded buckets for the first few minutes of the extra period until Colby Sieverding Colby Sieverding 5'9" | PG Bellevue | 2022 State IA gave Bellevue a 63-62 lead with 25.5 seconds to play. Daniel Tobiloba Daniel Tobiloba 7'0" | C Grand View Christian | 2023 State IA was fouled on the ensuing possession and made his first free throw to tie it at 63. The second free throw was missed, and Bellevue appeared to pull down the defensive rebound, but the officials called a jump ball, giving possession back to the Thunder with 20.5 seconds left.

Josh Baucum Josh Baucum 6'1" | SG Grand View Christian | 2022 State IA dribbled around the perimeter for the majority of the remaining time, getting to his preferred spot and launching a 15-footer that went long. Noah John was fouled going for the rebound with 0.2 seconds left and the sophomore stepped to the line for a pair of attempts at winning the game. He missed the first attempt, but his second was pure, giving the Thunder the win and ending Bellevue’s Cinderella run.

Grand View Christian (25-0) was led by Josh Baucum Josh Baucum 6'1" | SG Grand View Christian | 2022 State IA , who had 14 points in the win. Caleb Parlee had 13 points and Josh Sanderson Josh Sanderson 5'10" | PG Grand View Christian | 2023 State IA chipped in 11. Daniel Tobiloba Daniel Tobiloba 7'0" | C Grand View Christian | 2023 State IA made his presence known in the paint, finishing with 9 points, 19 rebounds, and 9 blocks. The Thunder shot just 16-33 (48.5%) from the free-throw line.

Bellevue’s season ends with a 13-13 record and the school’s second state tournament appearance, the first since 1991. The Comets were led by Jackson Mueller, who had a stellar game, finishing with 22 points and 14 rebounds. Jensen Wedeking had a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds, and Colby Sieverding Colby Sieverding 5'9" | PG Bellevue | 2022 State IA added 16 points in the loss.

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	OT	F
Bellevue	11	15	11	17	9	63
Grand View Christian	22	13	7	12	10	64

Bellevue: Jackson Mueller 22, Colby Sieverding Colby Sieverding 5'9" | PG Bellevue | 2022 State IA 16, Jensen Wedeking 15, Robert Paulsen 6, Hunter Putman 4
Grand View Christian: Josh Baucum Josh Baucum 6'1" | SG Grand View Christian | 2022 State IA 14, Caleb Parlee 13, Josh Sanderson Josh Sanderson 5'10" | PG Grand View Christian | 2023 State IA 11, Daniel Tobiloba Daniel Tobiloba 7'0" | C Grand View Christian | 2023 State IA 9, Manny Hammonds Manny Hammonds 6'2" | SG Grand View Christian | 2022 State IA 8, Noah John 4, Frankie Chiodo 3, Emiliano Barrantes Emiliano Barrantes 6'9" | PF Grand View Christian | 2025 State IA 2

Team stats
Bellevue: 22-70 FG (31.4%), 7-20 3P (35.0%), 12-20 FT (60.0%), 51 rebounds (26 offensive), 9 assists, 13 turnovers
Grand View Christian: 22-58 FG (37.9%), 4-19 3P (21.1%), 16-33 FT (48.5%), 47 rebounds (20 offensive), 6 assists, 14 turnovers

MVP: 2024 Noah John (Grand View Christian) -- 4 points (0-2 FG, 4-6 FT), 5 rebounds, 1 block

John will almost certainly have the worst stats of any "MVP" in a game this week, but he was huge in the overtime for the Thunder, knocking down four free throws, including the game winner.

[player_tooltip player_id="682273" first="Austin" last="Hilmer"] had 13 points and 10 assists in the Lynx’s blowout win

1A Quarterfinal: #2 North Linn 89, #7 North Mahaska 43

Second-seeded North Linn quickly took whatever excitement was left in Wells Fargo Arena following the Grand View Christian-Bellevue thriller away, rolling to an 89-43 win over seventh-seeded North Mahaska to advance to Wednesday’s semifinals.

After falling behind 4-0 quickly, the Lynx responded with a 41-6 run, seemingly in the blink of an eye, looking every bit the juggernaut they’ve been all season, forcing turnovers left and right and getting layup after layup. The Lynx led 29-9 after the first quarter and held a 56-15 advantage at the break.

They cruised throughout the second half with the running clock, advancing to the semifinals for the sixth consecutive season.

North Linn (25-1) will now await the winner of the Remsen St. Mary’s vs. West Harrison tilt in the 1A semifinals. The Lynx were led by Dylan Kurt Dylan Kurt 6'3" | SF North Linn | 2022 State IA , who led four in double-figures with a game-high 19 points. Tate Haughenbury Tate Haughenbury 6'5" | PF North Linn | 2023 State IA had 18 points, Cade Haughenbury Cade Haughenbury 6'2" | SF North Linn | 2022 State IA 14, and Austin Hilmer Austin Hilmer 5'10" | PG North Linn | 2022 State IA had a double-double with 13 points and 10 assists. The Lynx forced 26 turnovers in the win.

North Mahaska’s season ends with a 20-6 record and the school’s first state tournament appearance since 2006. The Warhawks were led by Braden Steel Braden Steel 6'3" | PF North Mahaska | 2023 State IA , who had 11 points. Lane Harmon Lane Harmon 6'1" | SF North Mahaska | 2023 State IA chipped in 10 in the loss. Their top three scorers, and four of the top five, return so expect to see North Mahaska back in position to make it to the state tournament again next season.

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	F
North Mahaska	9	6	11	17	43
North Linn	29	27	19	14	89

North Mahaska: Braden Steel Braden Steel 6'3" | PF North Mahaska | 2023 State IA 11, Lane Harmon Lane Harmon 6'1" | SF North Mahaska | 2023 State IA 10, Nolan Anderson 7, Chase Grandia 5, Nash Smith Nash Smith 6'6" | SF North Mahaska | 2023 State IA 4, Ethan Huffman 2, Sean Knockel 2, Nate Sampson 2
North Linn: Dylan Kurt Dylan Kurt 6'3" | SF North Linn | 2022 State IA 19, Tate Haughenbury Tate Haughenbury 6'5" | PF North Linn | 2023 State IA 18, Cade Haughenbury Cade Haughenbury 6'2" | SF North Linn | 2022 State IA 14, Austin Hilmer Austin Hilmer 5'10" | PG North Linn | 2022 State IA 13, Ben Wheatley Ben Wheatley 6'1" | SG North Linn | 2023 State IA 6, Ty Pflughaupt 6, Mason Bechen 5, Breckyn Betenbender 3, Tate Collum 3, Grant Rechkemmer 2

Team stats
North Mahaska: 17-39 FG (43.6%), 4-11 3P (36.4%), 5-7 FT (71.4%), 20 rebounds (7 offensive), 7 assists, 26 turnovers
North Linn: 35-61 FG (57.4%), 10-22 3P (45.5%), 9-14 FT (64.3%), 32 rebounds (16 offensive), 21 assists, 11 turnovers

MVP: 2022 Austin Hilmer Austin Hilmer 5'10" | PG North Linn | 2022 State IA (North Linn) -- 13 points (6-15 FG, 1-5 3P, 0-2 FT), 5 rebounds, 10 assists, 6 steals

Honestly, take your pick from any number of Lynx starters for this honor. They were absolutely dominant on both ends of the floor for all 32 minutes. Hilmer’s double-double and navigation of the offense and defense gives him the edge.

[player_tooltip player_id="1158497" first="Carter" last="Schorg"] had a game-high 20 points in St. Mary’s win

1A Quarterfinal: #3 St. Mary’s, Remsen 70, #6 West Harrison 52

Experience most definitely was a factor in the final 1A quarterfinal of the day, as third-seeded St. Mary’s, making their sixth consecutive trip to the state tournament, raced out to a 21-3 lead en route to a 70-52 win over sixth-seeded West Harrison, who was making their first ever state tournament appearance.

Behind a balanced offensive attack and a smothering defense, the Hawks did whatever they wanted in the first quarter, and despite constant effort from West Harrison, they were never really challenged in this one. The Hawkeyes were able to get to within 10 points with three minutes left in the second quarter, but the Hawks quickly responded and pushed their advantage back to 14, 38-24, by the end of the frame and then rolled in the second half.

St. Mary’s (25-0) advances to Wednesday’s semifinals, where they’ll meet second-seeded North Linn. The Hawks were led by Carter Schorg Carter Schorg 5'9" | PG Remsen St. Mary's | 2022 State IA , who led four in double-figures with 20 points. Cael Ortmann had 17 points, Jaxon Bunkers Jaxon Bunkers 5'11" | SF St. Mary's, Remsen | 2023 State IA 14, and Alex Schroeder added 12. Familiarity with the unusual shooting backdrop in Wells Fargo Arena contributed to the Hawks shooting 9-17 from behind the arc in the win. The Hawks have always been an excellent defensive team when they’ve gotten down to Wells Fargo Arena, but this year’s team might be the most dynamic offensive team they’ve had during this run. They have a number of perimeter shooting threats, they share the ball well, and they are constantly moving on that end of the floor.

West Harrison’s year ends with a 22-4 record, and the school’s first-ever state tournament appearance. They were led by Sage Evans Sage Evans 6'2" | PF West Harrison | 2023 State IA , who had 19 points. Koleson Evans Koleson Evans 6'6" | SF West Harrison | 2023 State IA added 15 points before fouling out, and Mason King Mason King 5'10" | PG West Harrison | 2023 State IA had 11 in the loss. Everyone on this year’s roster will be back next season, so expect to see the Hawkeyes contending again in 1A a year from now.

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	F
West Harrison	3	21	15	13	52
St. Mary’s	21	17	17	15	70

West Harrison: Sage Evans Sage Evans 6'2" | PF West Harrison | 2023 State IA 19, Koleson Evans Koleson Evans 6'6" | SF West Harrison | 2023 State IA 15, Mason King Mason King 5'10" | PG West Harrison | 2023 State IA 11, Walker Rife 3, Brady Melby 3, Mason McIntosh 1
St. Mary’s: Carter Schorg Carter Schorg 5'9" | PG Remsen St. Mary's | 2022 State IA 20, Cael Ortmann 17, Jaxon Bunkers Jaxon Bunkers 5'11" | SF St. Mary's, Remsen | 2023 State IA 14, Alex Schroeder 12, Austin Jensen Austin Jensen 6'2" | PF St. Mary's, Remsen | 2022 State IA 4, Ryan Willman 2, Hunter Pick 1

Team stats
West Harrison: 17-46 FG (37.0%), 9-23 3P (39.1%), 9-14 FT (64.3%), 25 rebounds (9 offensive), 8 assists, 9 turnovers
St. Mary’s: 23-42 FG (54.8%), 9-17 3P (52.9%), 15-28 FT (53.6%), 28 rebounds (8 offensive), 15 assists, 5 turnovers

MVP: 2022 Carter Schorg Carter Schorg 5'9" | PG Remsen St. Mary's | 2022 State IA (St. Mary’s) -- 20 points (6-11 FG, 3-4 3P, 5-5 FT), 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals

Schorg, a long and athletic 6-2 wing, made an impact with his length on the defensive end, and you could tell that he was comfortable playing in this setting and had no issues with the shooting back drop, burying three out of four attempts from the arc, showing a quick and smooth release on his jumper.

[player_tooltip player_id="962637" first="Mason" last="Gerleman"] had 20 points in Central Lyon’s win

2A Quarterfinal: #1 Central Lyon 68, #8 Red Oak 34

There were no first state tournament jitters from top-seeded Central Lyon on Monday night, as the Lions cruised to a 68-34 win over eighth-seeded Red Oak to advance to the 2A semifinals on Thursday morning, where they’ll face either Pella Christian or Roland-Story.

Making the first trip to the state tournament in the school’s history, Central Lyon raced out to a quick 10-2 lead and led 26-13 after the first quarter. An aggressive, attacking backcourt and big, physical forwards helped the Lions get into the bonus early in the half, and they took full advantage, knocking down 11-14 from the charity stripe in the first 16 minutes and shooting 12-18 from the floor by getting into the paint consistently. The Lions took a 37-22 lead into the locker rooms, and then really blew things open to start the second half.

Central Lyon opened the third quarter with a 15-0 run to grab a 30-point lead and cruised to an easy victory, looking every bit the team to beat in the 2A tournament along the way on both ends of the floor. An aggressive team with length and athleticism, Central Lyon has a roster filled with shooting and physicality, quickness and bruisers.

Central Lyon (23-2) was led by Mason Gerleman Mason Gerleman 6'0" | SG Central Lyon | 2022 State IA , who had 18 points in the win. Zach Lutmer Zach Lutmer 6'1" | PG Central Lyon | 2023 IA had 16 and Andrew Austin Andrew Austin 6'6" | PF Central Lyon | 2023 State IA added 13. The Lions shot 56.1% from the floor and outrebounded Red Oak 45-27 in the win.

Red Oak’s season ends with a 18-8 record. The Tigers were led by Max DeVries Max DeVries 6'2" | SG Red Oak | 2024 State IA , who had 10 points. Ryan Johnson chipped in 9 in the loss. They qualified for the first state tournament appearance since 1993 and bring back their top two scorers next season in Max DeVries Max DeVries 6'2" | SG Red Oak | 2024 State IA and Hunter Gilleland.

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	F
Red Oak	13	9	4	8	34
Central Lyon	26	11	19	12	68

Red Oak: Max DeVries Max DeVries 6'2" | SG Red Oak | 2024 State IA 10, Ryan Johnson 9, Hunter Gilleland 6, Jack Schmadeke 3, Chino Lepe 2, Cyrus Mensen 2, Baylor Bergren 1, Aiden Bruce 1
Central Lyon: Mason Gerleman Mason Gerleman 6'0" | SG Central Lyon | 2022 State IA 18, Zach Lutmer Zach Lutmer 6'1" | PG Central Lyon | 2023 IA 16, Andrew Austin Andrew Austin 6'6" | PF Central Lyon | 2023 State IA 13, Cooper Spiess 6, Cam Montag 6, Rex Van Wyhe Rex Van Wyhe 6'3" | PF Central Lyon | 2022 IA 2, Nathan Miss 2, Reece Vander Zee 2, Ethan Hoefert 2, Matt Elbert 1

Team stats
Red Oak: 10-54 FG (18.5%), 3-29 3P (10.3%), 11-17 FT (64.7%), 27 rebounds (10 offensive), 6 assists, 10 turnovers
Central Lyon: 23-41 FG (56.1%), 3-15 3P (20.0%), 19-28 FT (67.9%), 45 rebounds (5 offensive), 7 assists, 14 turnovers

MVP: 2022 Mason Gerleman Mason Gerleman 6'0" | SG Central Lyon | 2022 State IA (Central Lyon) -- 18 points (5-7 FG, 1-3 3P, 7-7 FT), 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal

The 6-2 off-ball guard got things started early for the Lions, scoring 12 first quarter points and helping lead them to a dominant win. His constant off-ball movement and quick release make him a difficult player to defend.

[player_tooltip player_id="1158415" first="Eric" last="Mulder"] was dominant in the paint for the Eagles, finishing with 18 points and 20 rebounds

2A Quarterfinal: #4 Pella Christian 69, #5 Roland-Story 62

Fourth-seeded Pella Christian survived a scare against fifth-seeded Roland-Story on Monday night, beating the Norsemen 69-62 to advance to Thursday morning’s 2A semifinals.

Roland-Story got out of the gates quick, building a quick 11-2 lead behind the stellar shooting of junior guard Isaiah Naylor Isaiah Naylor 6'0" | SG Roland-Story | 2023 State IA , who opened the game with a pair of 3-pointers. Pella Christian found their footing and the Eagles were able to end the quarter on a 12-2 run to take a 14-13 lead after the first quarter. Roland-Story was able to get the game tied early in the second quarter, but they didn’t hold a lead the rest of the game, with Pella Christian building a 29-24 edge at the break, and holding a 46-40 advantage after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter, the Eagles built a their lead up to 10 points before Roland-Story came storming back, pulling within four points on a few different occasions, but the Norsemen were never able to get back to within a single possession, as senior guard Levi Schelhaas Levi Schelhaas 5'9" | PG Pella Christian | 2022 State IA went 11-12 from the free-throw line, including 9-10 in the final 1:16 to ice away the win for Pella Christian.

Pella Christian (19-6) was led by Levi Schelhaas Levi Schelhaas 5'9" | PG Pella Christian | 2022 State IA , who had a game-high 23 points on 6-10 shooting. The senior guard was excellent in the mid-range game all night and iced the game away at the end. Senior forward Eric Mulder Eric Mulder 6'8" | PF Pella Christian | 2022 State IA was dominant in the paint, finishing with 18 points and 20 rebounds, while Jaedon Huisman Jaedon Huisman 6'5" | SF Pella Christian | 2022 State IA added 11 points for the Eagles. They advance to play top-seeded Central Lyon on Thursday morning.

Roland-Story’s season ends with a 22-3 record and the first state tournament appearance for the school since 2012. They were led by Will Bunn who had 17 points. Isaiah Naylor Isaiah Naylor 6'0" | SG Roland-Story | 2023 State IA and Jonovan Wilkinson Jonovan Wilkinson 6'2" | SF Roland-Story | 2024 State IA each had 14 points in the loss. The Norsemen bring back everyone who was a major contributor except for Bunn next season, bringing back four starters.

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	F
Roland-Story	13	11	16	22	62
Pella Christian	14	15	17	23	69

Team stats
Roland-Story: 22-55 FG (40.0%), 9-21 3P (42.9%), 9-11 FT (81.8%), 27 rebounds (10 offensive), 8 assists, 9 turnovers
Pella Christian: 26-50 FG (52.0%), 2-12 3P (16.7%), 15-20 FT (75.0%), 35 rebounds (10 offensive), 7 assists, 11 turnovers

MVP: 2022 Eric Mulder Eric Mulder 6'8" | PF Pella Christian | 2022 State IA (Pella Christian) -- 18 points (9-12 FG, 0-3 FT), 20 rebounds, 1 steal

The future IPFW big man was absolutely dominant as an interior scorer and on the glass, pulling down a tournament-high 20 rebounds and scoring at will in the paint against a smaller Roland-Story team. He wasn’t credited with a block in the game, but he altered several shots and his mere presence in the paint impacted the way the Norsemen were able to attack the Eagles in this one.