Western Dubuque stops Heelan's streak, moves to 3A championship game

DES MOINES - No four-peat. Not even close.

You've got to give Sioux City Heelan its rightful due for a run of championship basketball that bordered on the absurd. But it's over, thanks to the Western Dubuque Bobcats.

“We had 22 straight playoff wins. That's nothing to hang your head about,” Heelan's Shane Graves said after WD's oh-so-impressive 58-43 win in a Class 3A state tournament semifinal Thursday night at Wells Fargo Arena. “Yeah, we lost this one. To a very good team, at that. But our coach told us not to be disappointed at all.”

You win three consecutive 3A titles, you shouldn't be disappointed. And as Graves said, there's no shame in losing to this Western Dubuque team.

The Bobcats went on a 14-0 run in the second quarter to place out of reach a game it already led. Western Dubuque (24-2) plays Mount Pleasant (25-1) at 6:05 Saturday night in search of its first state basketball title since 2001.

Veteran head coach Dennis Geraghty is looking for his first. He led West Delaware to a second-place finish in 2000.

“When I took this job four years ago, I saw these guys in (middle school),” said Geraghty, one of the truly good guys in prep basketball. “I knew they'd be pretty darned good this year. They have played up to what I thought was their potential.”

This was, as usual, a game about T.J. Lake's scoring, Cameron James' interior play and Logan Pitz's savvy point-guard skills. But additional props to unheralded Hunter Westhoff, a 6-foot-3 senior center who tripled his scoring average with 12 points.

He had a terrific all-around game, making all three of his field-goal attempts and 6-of-7 free throws. For good measure, he threw in six rebounds and three steals.

“He's a huge part of our team,” said Lake, who had a team-high 15 points. “He's the heart and soul.”

“It just came,” Westhoff said. “I try to play defense, try to play for my teammates. If a shot comes, it comes. Just try to take advantage of the opportunity.”

Lake was asked if ending Heelan's streak was the cherry on top of the sundae, as far as this night went.

“Nope. The cherry on top of the sundae would be a state championship,” he said.

Here's a copy of the game boxscore and play by play:

Epworth, Western Dubuque vs Bishop Heelan Catholic (03!08!12 at IOWA BOYS STATE TOURNAMENT-3A Semifinal)