Third straight girls' state basketball semifinal for Center Point-Urbana

DES MOINES — It's becoming a habit. A good one.

Fifth-ranked Center Point-Urbana got its post counterparts from No. 6 Boone into immediate foul trouble, then capitalized for a 69-47 Class 4A quarterfinal victory at the girls' state basketball tournament Monday afternoon at Wells Fargo Arena.

'Their big girl (Claire Sandvig) got a block on us right away,' CPU's Allie Wooldridge said. 'When we got her out, it really turned the tone.'

Center Point-Urbana (22-3) led from start to finish and earned the right to face Wamac Conference West Division rival Marion in a semifinal at 1:30 Thursday afternoon. No. 1 Marion (24-0) disposed of Fairfield, 71-39, Monday.

It will be the third meeting between the Stormin' Pointers and the Indians. Marion won the first two by scores of 52-35 and 53-50.

'It's super exciting to play them again,' Olivia Brecht said. 'We've got to treat it like just another game.'

CPU is in the state semifinals for the third straight year. It reached the final four in 3A in 2016 and 2017, then was elevated a class this year.

'I've got great kids, and I'm blessed to coach them,' CPU Coach Philip Klett said.

A Drake University signee, Wooldridge led the Stormin' Pointers with 17 points, nine in the first quarter. Then, after Sandvig picked up her third foul at the 1:30 mark of the first quarter, Callyn Fox went to work as well, scoring 10 of her 14 points in the second period as CPU built a 32-23 halftime lead.

'After (Sandvig) went out, we didn't have to rush our shots as much in the lane,' Fox said.

Brecht hit three 3-pointers in the third quarter, and CPU pulled steadily away.

Brecht and Adrianna Katcher added nine points apiece.

Caitlynne Shadle paced Boone (22-2) with 17 points, going over the 1,000-point mark for her career. Emma Dighton tallied 13 points.

CENTER POINT-URBANA 69, BOONE 47

Class 4A State Quarterfinal, at Des Moines

BOONE (47): Madlyn Danner 1-4 2-4 4, Caitlynne Shadle 5-11 3-4 17, Aliyah Graham 1-2 1-4 3, Emma Dighton 3-13 5-6 13, Claire Sandvig 1-5 4-8 6, Ashley Behrendt 0-2 0-0 0, Emily Ades 0-0 0-0 0, Lauren Calkins 1-1 2-3 4, Zoey Hightshoe 0-1 0-0 0, 0-1 0-0 0, Lillian Lyons 0-0 0-0 0, Samantha Needham 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 12-39 17-29 47.

CENTER POINT-URBANA (69): Adrianna Katcher 3-5 3-5 9, LaMia Sisk 0-3 5-6 5, Olivia Brecht 3-6 0-0 9, Allie Wooldridge 5-8 6-9 17, Callyn Fox 6-13 2-2 14, Caitlyn Beals 0-0 0-0 0, Karly Millikin 1-1 3-4 5, Raegan Dufoe 0-2 0-0 0, Rylee Clark 0-1 0-0 0, Madie Willson 2-5 0-0 5, Lauren Dufoe 0-0 0-0 0, Sydney Boevers 2-3 0-0 5. Totals 22-47 19-26 69.

Halftime: CPU 32, Boone 23. 3-point goals: Boone 6-16 (Danner 0-2, Shadle 4-6, Dighton 2-7, Sandvig 0-1) CPU 6-16 (Katcher 0-2, Brecht 3-6, Wooldridge 1-2, Fox 0-1, Willson 1-3, Boevers 1-2). Team fouls: Boone 19, CPU 25. Fouled out: Wooldridge. Rebounds: Boone 32 (Sandvig 6), CPU 30 (Fox 8). Assists: Boone 7 (Danner 5), CPU 9 (Sisk 4). Steals: Boone 5 (Shadle, Graham 2), Marion 10 (Wooldridge, Millikin 2). Turnovers: Boone 17, CPU 11.

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