STATE TOURNAMENT: Monday Game Recaps

3A Quarterfinal: #1 Ballard 70, #8 Gilbert 40

Ballard, the top-ranked team in Class 3A looked every bit the part in their state tournament opener, blowing past Gilbert, 70-40, to advance to Wednesday night's semifinals.

Gilbert opened the scoring on a Preston Stensland Preston Stensland 6'3" | SF Gilbert | 2026 State IA mid-range jumper, but it was all Ballard after that. The Bombers used an 11-0 run to grab control and never led by fewer than three full possessions the rest of the way.

Ballard swept the regular season series between these two teams, playing a competitive game in early January, and a blowout in early February. This one looked a lot like that February matchup, with the Bombers swarming defense completely taking Gilbert out of what they wanted to do on the offensive end, and their constant rim pressure on the offensive end allowing them to routinely get to the free-throw line or the bucket for finishes.

With Gilbert's second leading scorer, Matthew Ochalla, sidelined with an injury suffered in the substate finals, the Tigers just couldn't get any offense going against Ballard's stingy defense. They overwhelmed the Tigers with their speed, quick hands, and talent, building a 35-13 halftime lead and cruising to the blowout win.

Ballard improves to 24-1 with the win and will await either Pella or Carroll in the semifinals at 5:30 Wednesday evening. The Bombers were led by Jude Gibson Jude Gibson 6'0" | PG Ballard | 2026 State IA , who had 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists in the win. Evan Abbott Evan Abbott 6'5" | SF/SG Ballard | 2027 State IA added 16 points, and Easton Ersland Easton Ersland 6'4" | PF Ballard | 2026 State IA had 15.

Gilbert's season ends with a 16-9 record and the school's second state tournament appearance, first since 1995. The Tigers will graduate four starters, but will bring back junior guard Charlie Reich Charlie Reich 5'6" | PG Gilbert | 2027 State IA and sophomore wing Matthew Ochalla, who suffered a broken collarbone in the substate final win over Knoxville. The Tigers were led by Preston Stensland Preston Stensland 6'3" | SF Gilbert | 2026 State IA , who had 17 points in his final game.

Team stats
Gilbert: 11-45 FG (24.4%), 4-13 3P (30.8%), 14-17 FT (82.4%); 26 rebounds (4 offensive); 8 assists, 14 turnovers
Ballard: 25-51 FG (49%), 3-19 3P (15.8%), 17-20 FT (85%); 35 rebounds (3 offensive); 14 assists, 4 turnovers

MVP: 2026 PG Jude Gibson Jude Gibson 6'0" | PG Ballard | 2026 State IA (Ballard) -- 20 points (9-17 FG, 0-5 3P, 2-2 FT), 6 rebounds, 8 assists (0 turnovers), 1 block, 1 steal

Gibson set the tone early for the Bombers, getting coast-to-coast on a few different occasions in the early 11-0 run that helped the Bombers take control. The lightning-quick guard was able to get into the paint routinely for finishes or to dish to open teammates, putting on a clinic on both ends of the floor.

3A Quarterfinal: #5 Carroll 50, #4 Pella 49

Fifth-seeded Carroll pretty much went wire-to-wire against the fourth-seeded Dutch on Monday afternoon, winning 50-49 to advance to the 3A semifinals.

Jared Mohr Jared Mohr 6'4" | PF Carroll | 2026 State IA broke a 5-5 tie with a 3-pointer with 3:21 left in the first quarter, and Carroll controlled the game throughout the first three quarters, leading 31-24 at the half and 40-33 after three quarters.

The Tigers offense went stagnant in the fourth, and Pella star wing Jack McGuire Jack McGuire 6'5" | SF/CG Pella | 2026 State IA took over the game, using his big frame and great footwork to get to the rim time-after-time. His putback with 47.8 seconds left to play gave Pella their first lead of the game, 46-45. On the ensuing possession, Carroll wing Jared Mohr Jared Mohr 6'4" | PF Carroll | 2026 State IA got to the bucket for a tough finish, plus the foul, giving Carroll the lead right back. Pella turned it over on their next possession, had to foul, and that was all she wrote.

Carroll improves to 21-5 with the win, and will meet Raccoon River Conference rival Ballard on Wednesday at 5:30 in the 3A semifinals. The Tigers were led by Jared Mohr Jared Mohr 6'4" | PF Carroll | 2026 State IA , who had 17 points and 7 rebounds in the win. Lual Tharjiath Lual Tharjiath 6'6" | PF Carroll | 2026 State IA added 12 points, including several highlight-reel dunks.

Pella's season ends with a 21-5 record and the school's 20th state tournament appearance. The Dutch were led by Jack McGuire Jack McGuire 6'5" | SF/CG Pella | 2026 State IA , who was the lone player in double figures, concluding his stellar high school career with 24 points and 8 rebounds. The Dutch will lose all five starters, but is a program that always has good athletes, and they should remain a factor in 3A.

Team stats
Carroll: 19-46 FG (41.3%), 3-19 3P (15.8%), 9-11 FT (81.8%); 27 rebounds (5 offensive); 9 assists, 9 turnovers
Pella: 21-51 FG (41.2%), 3-18 3P (16.7%), 4-8 FT (50%); 36 rebounds (12 offensive); 4 assists, 14 turnovers

MVP: 2026 PF Lual Tharjiath Lual Tharjiath 6'6" | PF Carroll | 2026 State IA (Carroll) -- 12 points (6-7 FG), 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 block

Tharjiath wasn't the Tigers leading scorer or rebounder, but he provided so much energy with his effort on the offensive glass and with his huge dunks. His presence in the paint defensively really altered the way that Pella looked to attack offensively. He only officially had one block, but he completely changed the game on that end of the floor.

3A Quarterfinal: #2 ADM 69, #7 Xavier 59

Second-seeded ADM jumped out to a huge lead, then made their free throws down the stretch to hold off a gallant comeback effort from Cedar Rapids Xavier, holding off the Saints, 69-59, to advance to the 3A semifinals.

ADM star guard Hudson Lorensen Hudson Lorensen 5'11" | SG ADM | 2026 State IA was fantastic throughout, finishing with a game-high 34 points, 11 of which came in the final 2:13 of the first half, helping the Tigers close the half on an 11-3 run. Those three points from Xavier came on a halfcourt heave from Zander Murray Zander Murray 6'1" | SG Xavier | 2026 State IA at the horn, cutting the ADM lead down to 40-25.

Xavier stormed out of the break, scoring the first nine points of the third quarter to get the deficit back down to six points, 40-34, but ADM responded and pushed the advantage back up to 11 points by the end of the third quarter. After getting the lead to 13, 56-43, early in the fourth quarter, the Saints answered with a 10-0 run to get back within 56-53 with 5:34 to play. After nearly three minutes of scoreless play, Lorensen and Brady O’Donnell Brady O’Donnell 6'3" | PF Xavier | 2026 State IA exchanged 3s, but that was as close as the Saints could get.

ADM shoots 77.2% from the free-throw line as a team this season, and the Tigers iced the game away at the charity stripe.

ADM improves to 23-2 with the win, becoming the third team from the Raccoon River Conference to advance to the 3A semifinals. They'll take on either Storm Lake or Solon on Wednesday night at 7:15. The Tigers were led by Hudson Lorensen Hudson Lorensen 5'11" | SG ADM | 2026 State IA , who was electric with 34 points. Trey Bryte Trey Bryte 6'6" | PG Adel DeSoto Minburn | 2026 State IA had 14 points and 13 rebounds in the win.

Xavier's season ends with a 15-9 record and the school's ninth state tournament appearance. The Saints were led by Zander Murray Zander Murray 6'1" | SG Xavier | 2026 State IA , who had 21 points. AJ Evans AJ Evans 6'9" | PF Xavier | 2026 State IA had 17 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 blocks, and Brady O’Donnell Brady O’Donnell 6'3" | PF Xavier | 2026 State IA chipped in 14 in the loss. The Saints will graduate all five starters from this group.

Team stats
Xavier: 23-53 FG (43.4%), 8-23 3P (34.8%), 5-15 FT (33.3%); 30 rebounds (12 offensive); 10 assists, 10 turnovers
ADM: 20-46 FG (43.5%), 7-15 3P (46.7%), 22-23 FT (95.7%); 30 rebounds (8 offensive); 9 assists, 7 turnovers

MVP: 2026 SG Hudson Lorensen Hudson Lorensen 5'11" | SG ADM | 2026 State IA (ADM) -- 34 points (12-24 FG, 4-8 3P, 6-7 FT), 2 rebounds

One of the best pure scorers in the state, Lorensen was electric on Monday afternoon, dropping 34 points on 50% shooting. His full offensive arsenal was on display, getting to the rim off the bounce, knocking down shots off the catch, and he delivered several big, timely buckets when the Tigers needed him.

3A Quarterfinal: #3 Storm Lake 68, #6 Solon 60 (OT)

They needed four extra minutes, but Storm Lake got the job done, outlasting a scrappy, talented Solon team to advance to the 3A semifinals with a 68-60 win in overtime.

The athleticism and physicality of Solon seemed to catch Storm Lake, the third-seeded team in the 3A field, off guard a bit in the first half. The Spartans held a 26-25 lead after the first 16 minutes and were excellent on the glass throughout the game. They grabbed 17 offensive rebounds in the game.

Storm Lake opened the second half with an 11-3 run that seemed to give them control, but Solon wasn't going to go away without a fight. With star guard Tate McCollum Tate McCollum 5'8" | PG Solon | 2027 State IA struggling with inefficient shooting and cramps, Maddox Kelley Maddox Kelley 5'9" | PG Solon | 2027 State IA , Tanner Heims Tanner Heims 6'2" | PF IA , and Grant Gordon Grant Gordon 6'1" | SG Solon | 2027 State IA really stepped up and played at a high level throughout. It was Kelley's play in the fourth quarter that got Solon back into the game, making several big buckets to get it tied back up.

With 1:51 left, Kaden Hoeper cut backdoor and finished a layup, giving Solon a 56-54 lead. A few possessions later, Cameron Boyd Cameron Boyd 6'2" | PG Storm Lake | 2026 State IA made a jumper inside the paint to tie it at 56. Tate McCollum Tate McCollum 5'8" | PG Solon | 2027 State IA got a pair of looks from 3 on Solon's final possession, but both missed, and Storm Lake couldn't get a shot off on their final possession, sending the game into overtime.

The extra period was controlled by Storm Lake. The Tornadoes scored eight of the first nine of the overtime and Jaidyn Coon Jaidyn Coon 6'7" | SF Storm Lake | 2026 State #154 Nation IA iced the game away at the line.

Storm Lake improves to 24-2 with the win and will face #2 ADM in the 3A semifinals. The Tornadoes were led by Cameron Boyd Cameron Boyd 6'2" | PG Storm Lake | 2026 State IA , who had 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. Jaidyn Coon Jaidyn Coon 6'7" | SF Storm Lake | 2026 State #154 Nation IA had 20 points and 12 rebounds, and David William David William 6'1" | SF Storm Lake | 2027 State IA added 11 points and was fantastic on the defensive end on McCollum.

Solon's season ends with a 23-3 record and the school's seventh state tournament appearance, first since 2016. The Spartans were led by Grant Gordon Grant Gordon 6'1" | SG Solon | 2027 State IA , who had 16 points. Tanner Heims Tanner Heims 6'2" | PF IA had 13 off the bench, and Tate McCollum Tate McCollum 5'8" | PG Solon | 2027 State IA and Maddox Kelley Maddox Kelley 5'9" | PG Solon | 2027 State IA each added 11. The Spartans will return all five starters and two of their top bench players next season, and will open the year as one of the favorites in Class 3A.

Team stats
Solon: 21-61 FG (34.4%), 9-29 3P (31%), 9-16 FT (56.3%); 36 rebounds (16 offensive); 13 assists, 11 turnovers
Storm Lake: 24-53 FG (45.3%), 6-20 3P (30%), 13-22 FT (59.1%); 39 rebounds (12 offensive); 9 assists, 12 turnovers

MVP: 2026 SG Cameron Boyd Cameron Boyd 6'2" | PG Storm Lake | 2026 State IA (Storm Lake) -- 21 points (8-12 FG, 1-1 3P, 4-4 FT), 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal

With Jaidyn Coon Jaidyn Coon 6'7" | SF Storm Lake | 2026 State #154 Nation IA struggling to get anything going consistently, Boyd kept the Tornadoes alive. The 6-2 senior guard was extremely efficient, routinely getting to the spots he wanted in the mid-range and knocking down shots.

4A Quarterfinal: #4 Dowling Catholic 63, #5 Dubuque Senior 45

Charles Crane Charles Crane 6'10" | PF/C Dowling Catholic | 2026 State IA set the tone early, blocking shots on each of Senior's first two possessions, and fourth-seeded Dowling Catholic rolled to a quarterfinal win over fifth-seeded Senior, 63-45, to advance to the 4A semifinals.

With a front court that goes 6-8 and 6-10, and highly athletic, Dowling Catholic made it really tough for a Senior team that loves to get to the rim to get any offense going. That size was also able to control the glass, finish at the rim, and set the tone on both ends of the floor for what proved to be a pretty comfortable win for the Maroons.

Senior struggled to keep Dowling's guards in front of them, with Noah Martens Noah Martens 6'0" | CG/PG Dowling Catholic | 2026 State IA in particular routinely able to get penetration into the teeth of the the Senior defense for finishes or to find open teammates.

The gap between the CIML and the rest of the state in Class 4A seems to only continue to grow, and this game may just be more proof of that gulf.

Dowling Catholic improves to 21-3 with the win, and will face either Cedar Falls or Urbandale in the 4A semifinals on Thursday morning. The Maroons were led by Noah Martens Noah Martens 6'0" | CG/PG Dowling Catholic | 2026 State IA .

Dubuque Senior's season ends with a 21-3 record and the school's 11th state tournament appearance, third in a row. The Rams were led by Tevin Schulz, who had 15 points. Drake Medinger Drake Medinger 6'2" | SG Senior | 2026 State IA added 11 in the loss. They will graduate their top three scorers, including Schultz, who is the program's all-time leading scorer. But Wendell Eimers has a god amount of young talent in the program and the Rams should continue to be a factor in the MVC next season.

Team stats
Senior: 18-42 FG (42.9%), 6-18 3P (33.3%), 3-4 FT (75%); 20 rebounds (8 offensive); 8 assists, 11 turnovers
Dowling Catholic: 23-41 FG (56.1%), 5-12 3P (41.7%), 12-20 FT (60%); 25 rebounds (9 offensive); 12 assists, 6 turnovers

MVP: 2026 Charles Crane Charles Crane 6'10" | PF/C Dowling Catholic | 2026 State IA (Dowling Catholic) -- 16 points (7-13 FG, 1-2 3P, 1-2 FT), 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 6 blocks

The 6-10 Navy commit set the tone immediately for the Maroons, showing Senior that scoring in the paint just wasn't going to happen tonight. The rangy defender played free safety, roaming around and blocking shots left and right.

4A Quarterfinal: #1 Cedar Falls 73, #8 Urbandale 53

Top-ranked Cedar Falls made quick work of Urbandale on Monday night, winning 73-53, to advance to the 4A semifinals.

The Tigers blew open the game with a 21-2 run that opened the second quarter. They led 41-17 at the half, and opened up a lead as large as 32 points in the second half.

A highly efficient offensive attack that looks like Ben McCollum's Iowa offense when its humming, the ball never gets stuck in one place. The passing is constant and crisp, the off-ball movement is consistent, and all five players on the floor at any given time are capable ball-handlers and passers. They're a ton of fun to watch when they have it humming like they did against the J-Hawks.

It's not just the offense, though, as the Tigers showed. They were disciplined and smothering on the defensive end, and absolutely pounded the J-Hawks on the glass, to the tune of a 39-17 edge. They turned 14 offensive rebounds into 23 second chance points.

Cedar Falls improves to 23-0 with the win and will face Dowling Catholic in the 4A semifinals on Thursday morning. The Tigers were led by Jaydon Kimbrough Jaydon Kimbrough 6'4" | PG Cedar Falls | 2026 State IA and William Gerdes William Gerdes 6'8" | PF Cedar Falls | 2026 State IA , who each had 28 points. Gerdes added 15 rebounds in the win, and Carsey Gary had 10 points.

Urbandale's season ends with a 14-9 record and the school's 10th state tournament appearance, first since 2014. The J-Hawks were led by Jake Pargeon Jake Pargeon 6'0" | SG Urbandale | 2026 State IA , the lone J-Hawk in double figures with 30 points. All five starters will graduate, but sophomore forward Charley Karaidos, a 6-5 intriguing forward, will return.

Team stats
Urbandale: 18-45 FG (40%), 8-20 3P (40%), 9-11 FT (81.8%); 17 rebounds (2 offensive); 9 assists, 15 turnovers
Cedar Falls: 28-54 FG (51.9%), 5-20 3P (25%), 12-17 FT (70.6%); 39 rebounds (14 offensive); 18 assists, 12 turnovers

MVP: 2026 PF William Gerdes William Gerdes 6'8" | PF Cedar Falls | 2026 State IA (Cedar Falls) -- 28 points (13-14 FG, 2-3 FT), 15 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block

Take your pick between Gerdes and Kimbrough here, both were outstanding. Gerdes' presence in the paint and on the glass was an absolute mismatch for Urbandale here, so we'll give the future Northern Iowa forward the nod. He was dominant.

STATE TOURNAMENT: Monday Game Recaps

In this article:

STATE TOURNAMENT: Tuesday 1A Stockrisers

STATE TOURNAMENT: Tuesday 1A Standouts

Photo Gallery: Day 2 of the Iowa State Tournament

STATE TOURNAMENT: Tuesday 4A Standouts

STATE TOURNAMENT: Tuesday Game Recaps

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	Final
Gilbert	9	4	15	12	40
Ballard	18	17	19	16	70

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	Final
Carroll	13	18	9	10	50
Pella	12	12	9	16	49

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	Final
Xavier	14	11	18	16	59
ADM	18	22	14	15	69

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	OT	Final
Solon	13	13	12	18	4	60
Storm Lake	15	10	17	14	12	68

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	Final
Senior	10	8	13	14	45
Dowling Catholic	16	11	18	18	63

Team	1Q	2Q	3Q	4Q	Final
Urbandale	9	8	17	19	53
Cedar Falls	17	24	17	15	73