Ballard silences CPU in second half of 3A girls’ state basketball quarterfinal

DES MOINES — There is lockdown defense. And there is active defense.

Ballard had both.

The third-ranked Bombers held No. 6 Center Point-Urbana to 29-percent shooting, Lily Beall and Brooke Loewe combined for 13 steals and the Bombers allowed just eight second-half points in a 43-29 Class 3A quarterfinal victory at the girls’ state basketball tournament Tuesday morning at Wells Fargo Arena.

Last year’s 4A state champion, Ballard (22-3) will face No. 2 West Lyon (24-1) in a semifinal at 3:15 Thursday afternoon.

» Photos: Center Point-Urbana vs. Ballard in 3A state quarterfinals

West Lyon held Roland-Story to three second-half points in a 38-23 first-round win Monday night, so that should be quite the defensive display.

“Our goal every game is to hold the opponent to below 30 points,” said Ballard’s Lily Hillebrand, after the Bombers did that for the 13th time this season.

Center Point-Urbana (21-4) actually led at halftime, 21-19, before going cold. The Stormin’ Pointers were 2 of 15 from the field in the second half.

“They played good defense, and we had a hard time. We weren’t executing well,” said CPU’s Taylor Rick, who led the Stormin’ Pointers with 16 points.

CPU Coach Philip Klett said, “Things got bogged down, which made it tough, and we missed some opportunities.”

The outcome spelled the end of a standout CPU career by Ryley Goebel, who will play at the University of Northern Iowa next year.

Goebel posted 11 points, 14 rebounds, three blocks and five steals. The downside was a 1-for-9 struggle at the foul line.

“They all felt good when I released them,” she said. “Once you miss a couple, it starts getting in your head.”

Goebel was a key member of CPU’s 3A state title team of 2019.

“So many girls here have impacted me,” she said. “I feel so blessed to have been a part of it. It hit me when I came out that this is the last time I’ll wear a CPU basketball jersey, and that was very upsetting.”

The first half contained four ties and six lead changes, with neither team leading by more than four points. The second half was all Ballard.

Hillebrand scored the Bombers’ first eight points after intermission, staking them to a 28-24 lead. They held CPU without a field goal for a span of nearly 14 minutes.

Paige Noe led the Bombers with 11 points.

Rick and Goebel provided 27 of CPU’s 29 points.

Ballard 43, Center Point-Urbana 29

Class 3A State Quarterfinal, at Des Moines

CENTER POINT-URBANA (29): Tayler Reaves 0-2 0-0 0, Ryanne Hansen 0-2 0-0 0, Ryley Goebel 5-11 1-9 11, Addy Tupa 0-2 0-0 0, Nicole Rick 5-9 2-2 16, Avery Sweeney 0-0 0-0 0, Alivia Sweeney 0-2 0-0 0, Laine Hadsall 0-5 0-0 0, Maggie Mathis 0-0 0-0 0, Sophia Simon 0-0 0-0 0, Kora Katcher 1-3 0-0 2, Kailey Spurlock 0-0 0-0 0, Josie Klett 0-1 0-0 0, Mya Hillers 0-1 0-0 0, Jaclyn Wooldridge 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 11-38 3-11 29.

BALLARD (43): Lily Beall 3-4 0-0 7, Brooke Loewe 2-12 3-5 7, Meg Rietz 0-4 4-4 4, Kylie Rigby 0-2 1-2 1, Lily Hillebrand 3-7 1-1 9, Kiley Calvert 0-0 1-4 1, Kayci Rigby 0-0 0-0 0, Kasey Larson 0-0 0-0 0, Alliyah Thompson 1-1 1-2 3, Megan Rowedder 0-0 0-0 0, Paige Noe 2-2 6-7 11, Alise Van Pelt 0-0 0-0 0, Brooklyn Baumgardner 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 11-33 17-25 43.

Center Point-Urbana 9 12 3 5 — 29

Ballard 11 8 13 11 — 43

3-point goals: CPU 4-13 (Reaves 0-1, Goebel 0-1, Tupa 0-1, Rick 4-7, Katcher 0-1, Klett 0-1, Hillers 0-1), Ballard 4-13 (Beall 1-2, Loewe 0-3, Rietz 0-1, Kylie Rigby 0-2, Hillebrand 2-4, Noe 1-1). Team fouls: CPU 18, Ballard 13. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: CPU 33 (Goebel 14), Ballard 24 (Beall 8). Assists: CPU 6 (Reaves, Tupa 2), Ballard 8 (Loewe 5). Steals: CPU 9 (Goebel 5), Ballard 16 (Beall 7). Turnovers: CPU 23, Ballard 16.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com