Iowa girls’ state basketball 2023: A closer look at Tuesday’s games

DES MOINES — Capsules for Tuesday's games involving area teams at the Iowa high school girls' state basketball tournament at Wells Fargo Arena.

Class 4A quarterfinals

No. 5 Decorah (21-2) vs. No. 4 Ballard (18-3)

Time: 1:30 p.m.

Top players: Decorah is paced by its guards: Yazmeen Whitsitt (5-7, jr.) leads the Vikings at 20.1 points per game and shoots 41.7 percent from the field. Bryar Duwe (5-6, sr.) adds 17.8 points, 3.5 assists and 3.5 steals per contest. Alliyah Thompson (6-1, jr.) stands out for Ballard, averaging 17.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game. Four other Bombers score between 6 and 8 points per contest.

Coaches: Shannon Quandahl owns an 88-67 record in seven years at Decorah. Kelly Anderson is in his 12th year at Ballard, and has compiled a 233-54 mark.

Tournament history: Decorah has qualified for the fourth time in school history, its first since 2007. The Vikings advanced to the semifinals twice. Ballard is a 17-time qualifier, including four years in a row. The Bombers won a 3A championship in 2009, a 4A title in 2021.

BC Moore computer projection: Ballard by 10.

No. 7 Clear Creek Amana (18-4) vs. No. 2 North Polk (21-2)

Time: 3:15 p.m.

Top players: Ava Locklear (5-11, jr.) is a versatile player for CCA, averaging 13.6 points, 10.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. Averie Lower (5-9, fr.) adds 11.2 ppg, Bliss Beck (6-2, jr.) 11.1. North Polk has three double-figure scorers in MaKayla Boatman (5-9, sr., 17.0 ppg), Abby Tuttle (5-8, soph., 11.1 ppg) and Liza Schaffer (5-9, sr., 10.0 ppg).

Coaches: P.J. Sweeney has built something good at CCA, assembling a 126-73 mark in nine years. Clint Albertsen has a 10-year record of 181-59 at North Polk.

Tournament history: CCA has qualified for the second time; the other appearance was in 2020. North Polk is in the field for the sixth time, the fourth in six years. The Comets were 3A runners-up in 2019 and 2020.

BC Moore computer projection: North Polk by 8.

No. 6 Cedar Rapids Xavier (16-7) vs. No. 3 Sioux City Heelan (22-2)

Time: 5 p.m.

Top players: Xavier’s duo of Kyla Mason (5-11, sr.) and Libby Fandel (6-1, soph.) carry much of the Saints’ heavy lifting. Mason averages 17.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, while Fandel -- the 2022 all-tournament captain -- adds 16.2 points and 7.0 boards per contest. Brooklyn Stanley (5-8, jr.) paces Heelan at 14.0 points, 3.5 assists and 4.0 steals per game. Jada Newberg (5-8, sr.) adds 10.6 points per contest.

Coaches: Tom Lilly is one of 17 Iowa coaches to pass the 600-win threshold; he stands at 611-283 in 38 seasons, including 422-180 in 25 years at Xavier. Darron Koolstra stands at 252-69 in 13 years at Heelan.

Tournament history: Xavier is a qualifier for the 15th time in its 25-year history. The Saints have won five championships, claiming the 4A title last year. Last year’s runner-up, Heelan is making its 13th appearance. The Crusaders have three titles in their possession, most recently in 2020.

BC Moore computer projection: Heelan by 9.

Class 2A quarterfinals

No. 5 Iowa City Regina (21-4) vs. No. 4 Sibley-Ocheyedan (21-3)

Time: 8:30 p.m.

Top players: Guard-centric Regina is led by Morgan Miller (5-6, soph.) at 17.7 points and 4.0 assists per game. She shoots 44.7 percent from 3-point range. Alli Clark (5-7, jr.) adds 14.8 points per contest. Madison Brouwer (6-0, sr.), headed to South Dakota on a track/cross country scholarship, paces the Generals at 18.4 points and 10.9 rebounds per game, and is the school’s all-time leading rebounder.

Coaches: Mary Rogers has been the head coach at Regina four years and owns a record of 68-25. Zach Wessels is in his first year at Sibley-Ocheyedan, and is 21-3.

Tournament history: Regina is a qualifier for the ninth time, the second in a row. Sibley-Ocheyedan is making its sixth trip, its first since 1997. The Generals won a six-player championship in 1986 and claimed the 2A title in 1996.

BC Moore computer projection: Sibley-Ocheyedan by 15.

Tuesday's other games

Class 3A quarterfinals

No. 3 West Marshall (23-1) vs. No. 6 Sioux Center (18-5), 10 a.m.

Class 4A quarterfinals

No. 1 Dallas Center-Grimes (20-3) vs. Glenwood (16-8), 11:45 a.m.

Class 2A quarterfinals

No. 1 Dike-New Hartford (23-1) vs. No. 15 Aplington-Parkersburg (20-4), 6:45 p.m.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com