State Tournament: Tuesday Game Recaps

3A Quarterfinal: #7 Xavier 52, #2 Knoxville 37

What started as an aesthetically pleasing Class 3A quarterfinal turned into a rock fight, as Xavier outlasted Knoxville, ending the Panthers dream season with a 52-37 win on Tuesday morning. The win sends Xavier into the 3A semifinals, where they’ll await the winner of the Ballard vs. MOC-Floyd Valley game to follow.

The teams traded shots throughout the first quarter, with Xavier holding a 19-15 lead after the first eight minutes. The first quarter was pretty basketball, lots of ball movement, motion, and shot making. Then things turned into a slog. An 8-5 Xavier second quarter gave the Saints a 27-20 edge at the break, and things didn’t improve too much in the second half on either side.

Knoxville went scoreless for 5:31 between the end of the second and start of the third quarters, allowing the Saints to go on an 8-0 run, grabbing an 11-point lead. The Panthers never got closer than 4 points the rest of the way.

Knoxville, a team that made 229 3-pointers at a 38.1% clip during the regular season and substate, couldn’t get anything to fall, despite getting several good looks. The Panthers were just 3-24 (12.5%) from the 3-point line and could just never get into an offensive rhythm. Lincoln Norris Lincoln Norris 6'0" | PG Knoxville | 2027 State IA , who has been one of the state’s elite shooters this season, knocking down 102 3s at a 43.8% clip, could never find the range in this one, going 1-12 from the arc. Just one of those days.

Xavier improves to 16-9 and is back into the 3A semifinals after a one-year absence. The Saints were led by AJ Evans AJ Evans 6'8" | PF Xavier | 2026 State IA , who was great on both ends of the floor, finishing with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Lorenzo Pino Lorenzo Pino 5'11" | PG/CG Cedar Rapids Xavier | 2026 State IA had 12 points, and Zander Murray Zander Murray 6'1" | SG Xavier | 2026 State IA added 11 in the win.

Knoxville’s season ends with a 24-1 record and their first state tournament appearance since 2000. The Panthers were led by Landen Norris Landen Norris 6'5" | PG/SG Knoxville | 2025 State IA , who had 14 points in his final high school game. Koby Higginbotham Koby Higginbotham 6'2" | SF Knoxville | 2025 State IA and Lincoln Norris Lincoln Norris 6'0" | PG Knoxville | 2027 State IA each chipped in 9 points in the loss. They’ll bring back two starters – Lincoln Norris Lincoln Norris 6'0" | PG Knoxville | 2027 State IA and Drake Larson Drake Larson 5'8" | PG Knoxville | 2026 State IA – from this year’s team and will be a potential state tournament team again next season led by that strong backcourt.

Team stats
Xavier: 21-49 FG (42.9%), 3-17 3P (17.6%), 7-13 FT (53.8%); 38 rebounds (14 offensive); 9 assists, 14 turnovers
Knoxville: 14-48 FG (29.2%), 3-24 3P (12.5%), 6-8 FT (75.0%); 28 rebounds (10 offensive); 2 assists, 12 turnovers

MVP: 2026 AJ Evans AJ Evans 6'8" | PF Xavier | 2026 State IA (Xavier) — 21 points (8-13 FG, 5-7 FT), 13 rebounds (8 offensive), 4 blocks

Knoxville had no answer for the 6-8 big man, who played one of the best games of his career. He was dominant on the glass, especially on the offensive end, and was a force as a rim protector. His presence in the paint turned Knoxville into even more a jumper-reliant team than they already were, and shots just weren’t falling for the Panthers.

3A Quarterfinal: #6 MOC-Floyd Valley 55, #3 Ballard 51

The offense wasn’t always pretty, but MOC-Floyd Valley was opportunistic and took advantage of Ballard’s mistakes on Tuesday afternoon, beating the Bombers 55-51 to set up a meeting with Xavier in Thursday’s Class 3A semifinals.

The Dutchmen took advantage of ice-cold shooting from Ballard to take a commanding 25-12 lead into the half. Ballard shot just 20% in the first half, and MOC-Floyd Valley was able to convert eight Bomber turnovers into 13 points. Ballard did a better job of limiting transition opportunities for MOC in the second half, with the Dutchmen finishing with 17 points off turnovers, but the damage had already been done.

Ballard is a team that has thrived all year by creating chaos on the defensive end and using it to spark their offense. They were able to do so with a bit more regularity in the second half, getting into their pressure looks and causing a few turnovers they were able to convert into points. But after a few minutes of pressure, the Dutchmen were able to adjust, beat the press, and get easy looks in transition. Ballard never got closer than two full possessions in the second half.

MOC-Floyd Valley controlled the game throughout, leading for all but 1:48 (35 seconds of Ballard leading, 1:13 of a tied game). The Dutchmen improve to 21-4 with the win and move into the semifinals for the second straight year. They were led by Blake Aalbers Blake Aalbers 6'0" | PG MOC-Floyd Valley | 2025 State IA , who had 24 points. Ahman Langton Ahman Langton 5'11" | PG MOC-Floyd Valley | 2025 State IA and Carter Van Gelder Carter Van Gelder 6'3" | SG MOC-Floyd Valley | 2026 State IA each chipped in 12 in the win.

Ballard’s season ends with a 21-3 record and a second straight state tournament trip. They were led by Jude Gibson Jude Gibson 6'0" | PG Ballard | 2026 State IA , who had 22 points. Easton Ersland added 8 points and 11 rebounds in the loss. The Bombers will bring back three starters (Gibson, Ersland, and Parker Miller Parker Miller 6'4" | PF Ballard | 2027 State IA ) and a top bench player from this group, and Jeff Schertz has established a winning culture in Huxley. They will once again be a state tournament contender next season.

Team stats
MOC-Floyd Valley: 16-45 FG (35.6%), 4-12 3P (33.3%), 19-28 FT (67.9%); 36 rebounds (12 offensive); 6 assists, 13 turnovers
Ballard: 16-46 FG (34.8%), 5-26 3P (19.2%), 14-16 FT (87.5%); 29 rebounds (8 offensive); 4 assists, 14 turnovers

MVP: 2025 Blake Aalbers Blake Aalbers 6'0" | PG MOC-Floyd Valley | 2025 State IA (MOC-Floyd Valley) — 24 points (5-12 FG, 2-6 3P, 12-14 FT), 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals

Offense was a struggle throughout much of the game for both teams, but Aalbers made some huge shots and did a great job converting his free throws to help ice away the win. He’s a talented shooter and playmaker off the dribble.

2A Quarterfinal: #1 Western Christian 69, #8 Jesup 38

The top-ranked team in Class 2A all year has been Western Christian, and the defending champions showed the state exactly why they’re the heavy favorite to repeat on Tuesday afternoon, rolling past Jesup, 69-38, to advance to the 2A semifinals. They’ll await either Grand View Christian or Treynor on Thursday afternoon.

There was never much doubt in this one, with Western Christian scoring the first nine points of the game, holding a 21-6 lead after one, a 42-16 lead at the half, and getting to the 35-point running clock with 4:59 left in the third quarter.

The Wolfpack play the game the way it’s meant to be played. Elite ball movement, player movement, and shot making. Rotations on defense. Unselfishness. And they love to get out in transition, both off opponent’s makes and misses.

Western Christian improves to 23-3 with the win and gets one step closer to adding another state title to their trophy case. The Wolfpack were led by Karsten Moret Karsten Moret 6'3" | SG Western Christian | 2025 State IA who had a game-high 23 points. Kaden Van Regenmorter Kaden Van Regenmorter 6'4" | SF Hull, Western Christian | 2025 State IA had 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Nine different players scored, and five different players made 3s in the win.

Jesup’s season ends with a 16-10 record and their fifth state tournament appearance. They were led by Ryan Treptow Ryan Treptow 6'3" | SG Jesup | 2025 State IA , who had 15 points and 10 rebounds in his final high school game. The J-Hawks will graduate four starters, but Joe Smeins has built a quality program that will compete in the NICL again next season.

Jesup: Ryan Treptow Ryan Treptow 6'3" | SG Jesup | 2025 State IA 15, Paxten McHone 6, Parker Masteller Parker Masteller 6'4" | PF Jesup | 2027 State IA 6, Landon Vogel Landon Vogel 6'1" | SG Jesup | 2025 State IA 4, Brendan Woodward 2, Brennan Ochsner 2, Abe Sullivan 2, Braylen Seehase 1
Western Christian: Karsten Moret Karsten Moret 6'3" | SG Western Christian | 2025 State IA 23, Kaden Van Regenmorter Kaden Van Regenmorter 6'4" | SF Hull, Western Christian | 2025 State IA 15, Landon De Stigter Landon De Stigter 6'3" | SG Western Christian | 2026 State IA 8, Preston Louters 6, Kaden DeJager 5, Jacob Van Meeteren 4, Lane Maassen 3, Tayden Moret Tayden Moret 6'1" | SG Western Christian | 2028 State IA 3, Brody Van Kley 2

Team stats
Jesup: 12-49 FG (24.5%), 1-9 3P (11.1%), 13-14 FT (92.9%); 27 rebounds (11 offensive); 4 assists, 18 turnovers
Western Christian: 28-49 FG (57.1%), 11-16 3P (68.8%), 2-5 FT (40.0%); 32 rebounds (7 offensive); 17 assists, 19 turnovers

MVP: 2025 Kaden Van Regenmorter Kaden Van Regenmorter 6'4" | SF Hull, Western Christian | 2025 State IA (Western Christian) — 15 points (6-7 FG, 3-3 3P), 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals

Van Regenmorter was his usual dominant self, stuffing the stat sheet and showcasing his ability to control the game on both ends of the floor. Both he and Moret were fantastic.

2A Quarterfinal: #4 Grand View Christian 61, #5 Treynor 46

A fantastic defensive effort lifted Grand View Christian past Treynor on Tuesday evening, breaking open a tied game at halftime en route to a 61-46 win. The win advances the Thunder to the 2A semifinals, setting up a massive matchup against defending champion Western Christian.

The teams exchanged blows in the first half, with the lead changing three times, and the game being tied on five separate occasions. They went into the break tied at 26.

Grand View Christian’s unusually patient approach and smothering defense, particularly in the paint, helped them grab control of the game in the third quarter. The Thunder won the third quarter 17-7 to take a 43-33 lead after three quarters. Treynor never got closer than seven points in the final period.

The Thunder played outstanding defense against Treynor star guard Alec Lovely Alec Lovely 6'0" | PG Treynor | 2026 State IA , who finished with 10 points on just 3-7 shooting. A combination of zone and man was played against him and they did a great job taking the ball out of his hands. He came in averaging nearly 20 points per game, and as he goes, Treynor goes. With him unable to get unleashed, the Cardinals offense sputtered.

Grand View Christian improves to 24-1 with the win and advances to the 2A semifinals for the first time in school history. They have won four state titles since 2017, but all four of those came in Class 1A. The Thunder were led by Brayden Hoben Brayden Hoben 6'5" | SF Grand View Christian | 2026 State IA , who was fantastic with 26 points on 10-16 shooting. Emiliano Barrantes Emiliano Barrantes 6'9" | PF Grand View Christian | 2025 State IA had 13 points, 16 rebounds, and 3 blocks in the win. The Thunder shot 51.2% from the floor, routinely finding quality looks.

Treynor’s season ends with a 22-4 record and a second consecutive state tournament appearance. The Cardinals were led by Jared Schwarte Jared Schwarte 6'5" | PF Treynor | 2025 State IA , who had 12 points and 10 rebounds. Alec Lovely Alec Lovely 6'0" | PG Treynor | 2026 State IA had 10 points in the loss. They’ll bring back their top three scorers and every bench player from this year’s team.

Team stats
Treynor: 16-55 FG (29.1%), 6-28 3P (21.4%), 8-16 FT (50.0%); 32 rebounds (19 offensive); 11 assists, 10 turnovers
Grand View Christian: 21-41 FG (51.2%), 5-11 3P (45.5%), 14-20 FT (70.0%); 34 rebounds (9 offensive); 10 assists, 14 turnovers

MVP: 2026 Brayden Hoben Brayden Hoben 6'5" | SF Grand View Christian | 2026 State IA (Grand View Christian) — 26 points (10-16 FG, 2-3 3P, 4-5 FT), 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1 steal

Hoben was fantastic on both ends of the floor in the Thunder win. He’s a big wing who has really improved as a shotmaker over the last year.

2A Quarterfinal: #2 West Lyon 81, #7 Union 50

Turns out that they really know how to play basketball up in northwest Iowa. Who knew? Second-seeded West Lyon steamrolled past seventh-seed Union, 81-50, to advance to Thursday’s Class 2A semifinals. They’ll take on the winner of the Unity Christian-Grundy Center game to follow.

The Wildcats led 24-11 after a quarter, 45-19 at the half, and built a lead as large as 33 in the fourth quarter.

An extremely quick, athletic, and physically imposing team, they were able to get to the rim seemingly at will. They had 32 points in the paint at halftime and 60 in the game. Like the other teams that we’ve seen from that part of the state, they move the ball exceptionally well, move without the ball in their hands, pound the glass, and are incredibly unselfish.

West Lyon improves to 22-3 with the win, and moves to 4-0 all-time in state tournament play. The Wildcats were led by Jorden Meyer, who had 25 points. Jared Ciesielski Jared Ciesielski 6'3" | SF West Lyon | 2026 State IA had 15 points and 11 rebounds, Ben Meyer Ben Meyer 6'3" | PF West Lyon | 2026 State IA had 14 off the bench in just 8 minutes, and Carson Hoogeveen Carson Hoogeveen 5'10" | PG West Lyon | 2025 State IA chipped in 11.

Union’s magical run ends with a 17-10 record and the school’s second state tournament appearance, the first in 17 years. The Knights were led by Caden Sorensen Caden Sorensen 5'9" | PG Union | 2026 State IA , who had 12 points. They’ll bring back four starters and everyone off the bench, so expect to see the Knights back in contention for a state tournament berth next season.

Union: Caden Sorensen Caden Sorensen 5'9" | PG Union | 2026 State IA 12, Cameron Mullen Cameron Mullen 6'2" | SG/CG Union | 2026 State IA 8, Tate Van Dyke Tate Van Dyke 6'4" | SF Union | 2026 State IA 7, Sawyer Spence 7, Maddux DeWinter 4, Eric Neipert Eric Neipert 6'4" | PF Union | 2025 State IA 4, Zach Griswold 3, Grady Anderson 3, Jacob McCoy 3, Bryson DeWinter 2
West Lyon: Jorden Meyer 25, Jared Ciesielski Jared Ciesielski 6'3" | SF West Lyon | 2026 State IA 15, Ben Meyer Ben Meyer 6'3" | PF West Lyon | 2026 State IA 14, Carson Hoogeveen Carson Hoogeveen 5'10" | PG West Lyon | 2025 State IA 11, Easton Jacobson Easton Jacobson 6'1" | SG West Lyon | 2025 State IA 6, Bryson Childress 4, Drendan Van Wyhe 2, Easton De Jong 2, Mason McCarty 2

Team stats
Union: 22-51 FG (43.1%), 6-21 3P (28.6%), 3-5 FT (60.0%); 23 rebounds (5 offensive); 10 assists, 15 turnovers
West Lyon: 35-64 FG (54.7%), 4-16 3P (25.0%), 7-8 FT (87.5%); 38 rebounds (12 offensive); 18 assists, 8 turnovers

MVP: 2026 Ben Meyer Ben Meyer 6'3" | PF West Lyon | 2026 State IA (West Lyon) — 14 points (7-9 FG), 4 rebounds, 1 assist

Meyer wasn’t the leading scorer for the Wildcats, but you can’t argue with how productive he was, scoring 14 points in just 8 minutes of action. His activity in the paint and on the glass was a microcosm of how the entire game went for West Lyon.

2A Quarterfinal: #3 Unity Christian 48, #6 Grundy Center 46

It took a little while for it to happen this year, but we finally got our wild, crazy game in the final game of night two. Unity Christian erased a nine-point fourth quarter deficit to beat Grundy Center, 48-46, advancing to the 2A semifinals where they’ll take on West Lyon for the third time this season.

There are probably only two Class 2A teams in the state this year who can physically match up with the top teams from northwest Iowa – Grand View Christian and Grundy Center. And for the first 28 minutes of this one, the Spartans were the better team. They led nearly wire-to-wire, with Unity Christian’s first lead coming with just 1:14 left in the game.

Unity Christian turned the ball over 14 times in the first half, and Grundy Center was able to turn those turnovers into 15 points. However, they didn’t take the opportunity to really bury the Knights, leading just 28-25 at the half. The teams really struggled in the third quarter, combining for just 13 points on 5-22 shooting, and then early in the fourth quarter, the Spartans took their largest lead of the game, 41-32, with 6:18 left to play.

That’s when the tides started to turn, with Unity applying a ton of pressure, picking up full court and trapping everywhere, causing the Spartans to throw a number of errant passes, leading to transition buckets.

With 4:33 to play, Grundy got a big 3-pointer from Judd Jirovsky Judd Jirovsky 5'11" | SG Grundy Center | 2026 State IA that looked like it may have given the Spartans control, leading 44-36. Tyce Van Donge Tyce Van Donge 6'2" | PF Unity Christian | 2027 State IA followed with a layup, then after a missed Grundy shot, Dylan Bosma Dylan Bosma 6'1" | PG Unity Christian | 2026 State IA got to the rim and finished, then Van Donge got a steal, missed his layup but Braeden Bosma Braeden Bosma 6'1" | PG Unity Christian | 2025 State IA followed with a putback. In the blink of an eye, Grundy’s lead was down to 44-42. After a timeout, Unity got another steal and another Braeden Bosma Braeden Bosma 6'1" | PG Unity Christian | 2025 State IA layup, tie game. Ryker Thoren Ryker Thoren 6'3" | SF Grundy Center | 2025 State IA made a free-throw line jumper with 1:37 to play to give Grundy a 46-44 lead. Jackson Vogel Jackson Vogel 6'3" | SF Unity Christian | 2025 State IA split a pair of free throws, then another Van Donge steal led to another Braeden Bosma Braeden Bosma 6'1" | PG Unity Christian | 2025 State IA layup plus the foul. He converted the free throw to give Unity a 48-46 lead.

On the ensuing Grundy Center possession, Jalen Kirkpatrick Jalen Kirkpatrick 6'6" | SF Grundy Center | 2025 State IA got a really good look at a go-ahead 3 from the corner, but the shot rimmed out. Unity turned it over with 9 seconds left. With a foul to give, they gave it with 4.9 to play, leading to a wild sequence to close the game. Inbounding from around halfcourt, Grundy ran a great play that got Tiernan Vokes Tiernan Vokes 6'4" | SF Grundy Center | 2025 State IA a layup for the win, but Braeden Bosma Braeden Bosma 6'1" | PG Unity Christian | 2025 State IA came away with a chasedown block to preserve the win.

Unity Christian improves to 21-4 with the win and moves into the semifinals for the second straight year. The Knights were led by Jackson Vogel Jackson Vogel 6'3" | SF Unity Christian | 2025 State IA , who had 14 points. Braeden Bosma Braeden Bosma 6'1" | PG Unity Christian | 2025 State IA , the defensive hero, had 12 points, and Dylan Bosma Dylan Bosma 6'1" | PG Unity Christian | 2026 State IA added 9.

Grundy Center’s season ends with a 22-3 record and a second straight state tournament appearance. They were led by Ryker Thoren Ryker Thoren 6'3" | SF Grundy Center | 2025 State IA , who had 14 points. Judd Jirovsky Judd Jirovsky 5'11" | SG Grundy Center | 2026 State IA had 11 off the bench, and Tiernan Vokes Tiernan Vokes 6'4" | SF Grundy Center | 2025 State IA and Jalen Kirkpatrick Jalen Kirkpatrick 6'6" | SF Grundy Center | 2025 State IA each had 9. The Spartans will lose all five starters from this group.

Team stats
Grundy Center: 18-51 FG (35.3%), 4-20 3P (20.0%), 6-7 FT (85.7%); 24 rebounds (12 offensive); 11 assists, 13 turnovers
Unity Christian: 21-38 FG (55.3%), 3-12 3P (25.0%), 3-4 FT (75.0%); 26 rebounds (4 offensive); 9 assists, 20 turnovers

MVP: 2025 Braeden Bosma Braeden Bosma 6'1" | PG Unity Christian | 2025 State IA (Unity Christian) — 12 points (5-11 FG, 1-4 3P, 1-1 FT), 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 3 steals

The bouncy 6-1 guard not only made some big buckets in the fourth quarter, but he made the game-sealing block to help Unity complete the wild comeback. He was fantastic defensively in the fourth quarter.

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	Final
Xavier	19	8	9	16	52
Knoxville	15	5	12	5	37

State Tournament: Tuesday Game Recaps

In this article:

August Rankings Update: Who moved up the rankings in Iowa’s 2028 class?

2028 Rankings Update: Stock Risers in the Top 30

Updated 2028 Iowa Rankings

Class 1A: Top 10 Returning Rebounders

Class 1A: Top 10 Returning Scorers

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	Final
MOC-Floyd Valley	12	13	11	19	55
Ballard	6	6	16	23	51

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	Final
Jesup	6	10	10	12	38
Western Christian	21	21	17	10	69

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	Final
Treynor	11	15	7	13	46
Grand View Christian	10	16	17	18	61

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	Final
Union	11	8	17	14	50
West Lyon	24	21	19	17	81

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	Final
Grundy Center	15	13	8	10	46
Unity Christian	11	14	5	18	48