Author: Nathan Bloechl

Girls’ Prep Basketball: Notre Dame’s Season Closes After Garrigan Avalanche

Algona Garrigan used a 20-7 first half run to lead 38-20 and then never looked back as the second-seeded Golden Bears rolled to a 77-42 win over Notre Dame yesterday in a Class 1A State Quarterfinal.

Garrigan junior Audi Crooks, arguably the state’s most sought after recruit, finished with a game-high 32 points and seven rebounds, while hitting 15-of-18 shots.

She scored 21 in the second half — including 14 of the Golden Bears’ 17 third quarter points — helping put away any late heroics by the Nikes.

Running mate Molly Joyce chipped in with 25 points, six assists, five rebounds and seven steals.

Abby Korschgen led Notre Dame with 11 points and five rebounds.

Megan Harrell had 10 points and five rebounds, while sophomore Lauren Krieger scored eight for the Nikes, who won the state title in 2014 and made it back to the tournament for the first time since 2017.

Bishop Garrigan has now won 20 straight to improve to 23-3. They’ll play sixth-seeded North Linn who took down Springville 58-56 last night.

That game will be played Friday afternoon at 3:15 p.m.

Girls’ Prep Basketball: State Basketball Scoreboard (Day 3)

Here’s the full scoreboard from Day 3 of the Iowa Girls’ State Basketball Tournament

Class 2A Quarterfinals

Denver 58, Underwood 51

Central Lyon 42, Cascade 40

Class 1A Quarterfinals

Marcus-Meriden-Cleghorn 50, Exira-EHK 39

Newell-Fonda 77, North Mahaska 44

North Linn 58, Springville 56

Women’s College Basketball: Wesleyan Dominates Postseason Awards 

Iowa Wesleyan University junior Kyla Moore is the first-time recipient of two awards for her outstanding play during the Continental Athletic Conference’s inaugural 2021-22 season. The league’s all-conference team and signature award winners were announced on Wednesday.

Moore was named the CAC Player of the Year while sharing Defensive Player of the Year honors with Crowley’s Ridge College (AR.) Madison Sellars.

Iowa Wesleyan’s Brittany West earned the Newcomer of the Year award and Iowa Wesleyan’s Steve Williamson was named Coach of the Year.

Moore led the Tigers by scoring 17.8 points per game during the regular season.

West averaged 17 points and six rebounds per contest in her first season in Mount Pleasant.

Williamson, in his first year back roaming the Ruble Arena sidelines,  guided the Tigers to a 19-5 season and CAC championship in the program’s first season back at the NAIA level and first season as a league member.

Iowa Wesleyan will be a hosting a selection show watch party tonight at 6:00 p.m.

All are welcome to attend.

Men’s College Basketball: CAC Announces Men’s Awards

Florida College senior Matt Simpson has taken men’s basketball Player of the Year honors in the Continental Athletic Conference after helping lead the Falcons to the 2021-22 championship and NAIA postseason tournament.

Iowa Wesleyan freshman Joey Brown was named to the All-CAC First Team.

Brown averaged 14.8 points per game this season and shot 49.4% from the field. He also chipped in with five boards and three assists per game.

Carver Locke and Marvin Bateman were named Honorable Mention All-CAC.

Locke recorded 12.2 points per game while Bateman finished just south of 10 points per game while connecting on 37% of his three point shots.

Iowa Wesleyan finished their season with a CAC semifinal loss to Simpson and Florida College.

Girls’ Prep Basketball: Lopreato, Lamm Headline SEC All-Conference Teams

Junior forward Andrea Lopreato and senior guard Kenna Lamm were both named First All-SEC honorees yesterday, the league announced.

Joining them on the first-team were Fairfield’s Danielle Breen, Fort Madison senior Malarie Ross and the terrific tandem from Keokuk of Kayde Martin and Abby Wolter.

Wolter was named the SEC Player of the Year, helping guide the Chiefs to an 18-4 record, going a perfect 10-0 in league play.

Lopreato led the Panthers with 21.3 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, also chipping in a team-high 4.3 assists per game.

Lamm finished the year scoring 12 points per game, swiping two steals per game hitting 30% of her three point shots.

Jadan Brumbaugh and Tristian Shull were both named Honorable Mention selections.

Lamm, Shull, Mackenzie Musselman and Kate Schimmelpfennig were all Academic All-Conference choices.

Girls Prep Basketball: State Tournament Scoreboard (Day 2)

Day Two of the Iowa Girls State Tournament has come and gone, here’s a look at yesterday’s scoreboard.

Class 2A Quarterfinals 

Dike-New Hartford 64, South Central Calhoun 44

Panorama 46, Iowa City Regina 38

Class 3A Quarterfinals

Ballard 43, Center Point-Urbana 29

Class 4A Quarterfinals 

Dallas Center-Grimes 64, Benton 38

Cedar Rapids Xavier 62, Central DeWitt 55

Action continues on today at Wells Fargo Arena today with 1A Quarterfinals taking place.

Nathan Bloechl and Kent Bennett will have coverage of the Notre Dame-Algona Bishop Garrigan game starting at 5:00 p.m.

You can listen on FM 105.5 and kilj.com.

Men’s College Basketball: Iowa Wesleyan Gets Two on All-Tournament Team

The Continental Athletic Conference has named Carver Locke and Marvin Bateman to the All Tournament team.

Locke averaged 24 points over two game sand scored a season-high 31 in Friday morning’s win over Wilberforce shooting 8-of-10 from the field.

Bateman was terrific from three-point land in the Tigers’ two matchups, converting on 44% of his shots.

Florida College’s Matt Simpson headlined the men’s basketball honorees as the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

He averaged 23.7 points per game in leading the Falcons to the championship.

Simpson scored 32 points in a 102-82 victory against Washington Adventist University (Maryland) in the championship game.

Women’s College Basketball: West Named MOP of CAC Tournament: 

Iowa Wesleyan forward Brittany West has been named the CAC women’s basketball tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.

The senior from Shakopee, MN averaged 24.7 points per game in leading the Tigers to the CAC title.

She scored 24 points in the team’s quarterfinal victory against Fisher College (Massachusetts) before tallying 25 points in back-to-back efforts against Washington Adventist, in the semifinal round, and Haskell Indian Nations University (Kansas), in the championship game.

Joining her on the All-Tournament squad were Kyla Moore, Breanna Wendland and Maci Kuchta.

Iowa Wesleyan will learn the opponent for the NAIA Women’s Basketball National Championships on Thursday, with the selection show beginning at 6:00 p.m.

Women’s College Wrestling: Five Tigers Named HoA All Conference Choices

Five Iowa Wesleyan Tiger women’s wrestlers have earned All-Heart of America Conference honors.

Mia Palumbo (FR/Oak Lawn, IL) and Adaugo Nwachukwu (FR/San Jose, CA) were both named to the First-Team All-Conference team after winning individual championships.

Palumbo is now 18-3 while Nwachukwu boasts a 17-1 record.

Alaina Sunlin and Joanna Vanderwood were Second-Team choices, while Destiny Campbell claimed a Third-Team finish.

Wesleyan will turn preparations to the NAIA Women’s National Tournament, which will be wrestled March 11th and 12th in Jamestown, North Dakota.