Girls’ state basketball: Saturday’s games

DES MOINES — Capsules for Saturday's games involving area teams at the girls' state basketball tournament at Wells Fargo Arena:

Class 2A championship

No. 6 Cascade (24-3) vs. No. 8 Grundy Center (24-1)

Time: 5 p.m.

Top players: Cascade's Nicole McDermott (5-5, soph.) paces the Cougars at 13.6 points and 5.3 assists per game. Anne Ryan (5-7, sr.) adds 11.4 points per game. Grundy Center starts five juniors, led by Hailey Wallis (5-9) and Brooke Flater (5-11), who average 14.4 and 10.2 points per game, respectively.

Coaches: Mike Sconsa is in his 14th year at Cascade and has compiled a mark of 280-65. Grundy Center's Matt Lindeman owns an 89-27 record in five years.

How they got here: Cascade opened here with a 61-44 triumph over No. 9 Dike-New Hartford, then outlasted No. 10 North Union, 62-53, in a triple-overtime semifinal. Grundy Center edged No. 7 Iowa City Regina in the quarterfinals, 46-45, then upset No. 2 Treynor, 42-39, in the semifinals.

BC Moore computer projection: Cascade by 10.

Class 1A championship

No. 1 Springville (23-3) vs. No. 4 Newell-Fonda (26-0)

Time: 7 p.m.

Top players: Springville's roster is full of veterans, headed by future Minnesota State-Mankato teammates Rylee Menster (5-6, sr.) and Mikayla Nachazel (5-11, sr.). Menster averages 17.3 points and 4.3 steals per game, and Nachazel adds 16.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per contest. Newell-Fonda is headlined by Olivia Larsen (5-6, jr.) at 19.5 points per game.

Coaches: Former assistant Christina Zaruba is in her first season as the head coach at Springville, and is 23-3. Dick Jungers has piloted Newell-Fonda for 16 years and owns a mark of 339-67.

How they got here: Neither team has been seriously pushed yet here. Springville rolled through its first two games, defeating No. 15 Algona Garrigan, 54-36, and No. 7 Exira-EHK, 57-41. Newell-Fonda advanced with victories over No. 9 Lansing Kee (61-45) and No. 2 Central Decatur (61-49).

BC Moore computer projection: Springville by 1.

Saturday's other game

Class 3A championship: No. 1 Crestwood (25-0) vs. No. 2 Sioux Center (24-2), 3 p.m.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com