Iowa boys' state basketball 2021: Friday's championship games

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

Class 1A Final

No. 1 North Linn (27-0) vs. No. 6 Montezuma (24-2)

Time: Noon

Overview: One of these schools is going to win its second state championship. Montezuma won the 1A title in 1990, North Linn the Class 2A championship in 2019. This is the third consecutive trip to state for Montezuma, which finished fourth in 2019 and third last season. North Linn has been to The Well five consecutive years, with a third-place finish in 2017 (1A) and runner-up finishes last season (in 2A) and 2018 (1A).

North Linn beat South Winneshiek in the quarterfinals, 77-52, and Martensdale-St. Mary's in Wednesday night's semifinals, 63-50. The Lynx got 19 points from Tate Haughenbury, 15 from Dylan Kurt and 13 each from Austin Hilmer and Ben Wheatley against South Winn. Against MSM, Kurt scored 17 points, Cade Haughenbury 16 and Hilmer and Wheatley 12 each. North Linn has only one senior on the roster (reserve Kaleb Kurt).

Montezuma came into this tournament as the seventh seed. Its big three is junior forward Eddie Burgess and senior guards Trey Shearer and Cole Watts. They have been the backbone of this three-year run. Shearer had 25 points, Watts 18 and Burgess 14 in a quarterfinal overtime win over second-seeded Lake Mills. In a 49-35 victory over third-seeded Grand View Christian, Shearer had 18 points and Watts 13. Burgess had 15 rebounds, going up against GVC 7-footer Daniel Tobiloba. Burgess is 6-4.

The pace of this game should be uptempo, as both teams like to get out and run. North Linn is known for its trapping, full-court defensive pressure, Montezuma for its quickness and 3-point shooting. Could be a lot of fun here.

Friday's other games

Class 2A Final

No. 1 Boyden-Hull (26-0) vs. No. 6 Western Christian (21-5), 2:30 p.m.

Class 3A Final

No. 1 Huxley Ballard (25-1) vs. No. 5 Pella (24-2), 5 p.m.

Class 4A Final

Johnston (12-4) vs. No. 2 Waukee (15-2), 7:30 p.m.

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