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.

Scoring
Gilbert: Preston Stensland Preston Stensland 6'3" | SF Gilbert | 2026 State IA 17, Charlie Reich Charlie Reich 5'6" | PG Gilbert | 2027 State IA 4, Matt Zoz 4, William Terrones William Terrones 5'8" | PG Gilbert | 2026 State IA 4, Easton VanCleave 4, Eli Hague 3, Lual Kenyang 2, Gabe Fierce 2
Ballard: Jude Gibson Jude Gibson 6'0" | PG Ballard | 2026 State IA 20, Evan Abbott Evan Abbott 6'5" | SF/SG Ballard | 2027 State IA 16, Easton Ersland Easton Ersland 6'4" | PF Ballard | 2026 State IA 15, Parker Miller Parker Miller 6'4" | PF Ballard | 2027 State IA 7, Dillon Shoen 4, Bryce Miller Bryce Miller 6'1" | SF Ballard | 2027 State IA 2, Caleb Allen 2, Gage Krogh 2, Kanen DeYoung 2

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 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 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 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, who had 17 points and 7 rebounds in the win. Lual Tharjiath 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, 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.

Scoring
Carroll: Jared Mohr 17, Lual Tharjiath 12, Trey Tassell 9, Mac Collison 7, Chase Schable 2, Landon Petersen 2, Tallon Crandall 1
Pella: Jack McGuire 24, Austin Schulte 9, Griffin Simpson 5, Michael Manning 4, Harrison Mullens 3, Teagan Hoekstra 2, David Garner 2

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 (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.