Defensive switch ignites Ballard in 4A girls’ state basketball first-round win over Decorah

DES MOINES — You would think that Decorah would feast on a zone.

“Usually we do,” Coach Shannon Quandahl said. “Today, we just didn’t see it.”

Ballard’s defensive shift was one key factor. Superiority in the middle two quarters was another, and the fourth-ranked Bombers ousted No. 5 Decorah, 58-44, in a Class 4A quarterfinal at the girls’ state basketball tournament Tuesday afternoon at Wells Fargo Arena.

“When they switched to a 2-3, we weren’t getting enough ball movement, and they were able to stretch their lead,” Decorah’s Yazmeen Whitsitt said.

Ballard (19-3) overcame an early 13-point deficit, and advanced to face No. 1 Dallas Center-Grimes (21-3) in a 4A semifinal at 5 p.m. Thursday.

“We got a wake-up call early,” said Lily Hillebrand, who hit four 3-pointers to spur the Bombers’ rally. “We have a lot of senior leaders, and we didn’t want this to end.”

Decorah finished 21-3. The Vikings were making their first state trip since 2007.

“If you would have asked me where we’d have ended up, I would have said nowhere near here,” Bryar Duwe said. “I’m surprised how far we’ve come. We couldn’t have asked for a better season.”

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Girls’ state basketball photos: Decorah vs. Ballard in 4A quarterfinals

And they couldn’t have asked for a better start.

The Vikings scored the first nine points and took their largest lead, 15-2, on Haley Gossman’s basket at the 1:50 mark of the first quarter.

It was 17-10 after a period in which the Vikings shot 7-of-12 from the floor and didn’t commit a turnover.

“We really were moving the ball around well,” Decorah’s Haley Gossman said.

Ballard answered in the second behind a barrage of 3-pointers from Hillebrand, who had four of them in the first half.

Alliyah Thompson’s transition basket made it 23-23 with 0:58 left in the half, and that’s how it stood at intermission.

The third quarter belonged to Ballard. After Yazmeen Whitsitt opened the period with a 3-pointer, the Bombers scored the next 12 points, and that run was a killer.

“Sometimes you have lapses, and the other team is able to capitalize,” Quandahl said.

Raegan Loewe came off the bench to led the Bombers with 17 points. Thompson and Hillebrand scored 12 apiece.

Whitsitt paced Decorah with 17 points. Duwe added 12, Gossman 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Ballard 58, Decorah 44

Class 4A State Quarterfinal, at Des Moines

DECORAH (44): Sami Mount 0-1 1-2 1, Yazmeen Whitsitt 6-18 0-0 17, Bryar Duwe 4-16 2-2 12, Kylie O’Hara 1-5 0-0 2, Haley Gossman 4-9 2-4 10, Autumn Schaller 0-0 0-0 0, Brynn Storhoff 0-1 0-0 0, Brooklyn Fromm 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 16-53 5-8 44.

BALLARD (58): Lily Beall 1-4 4-4 7, Alise Van Pelt 0-1 0-0 0, Alliyah Thompson 4-15 4-5 12, Paige Noe 0-1 2-2 2, Lily Hillebrand 4-7 0-0 12, Kiley Calvert 3-5 0-0 8, Raegan Loewe 7-10 3-4 17. Totals 19-43 13-15 58.

Decorah 17 6 5 16 — 44

Ballard 10 13 17 18 — 58

3-point goals: Decorah 7-21 (Mount 0-1, Whitsitt 5-12, Duwe 2-6, Gossman 0-1, Fromm 0-1), Ballard 7-20 (Beall 1-3, Van Pelt 0-1, Thompson 0-3, Noe 0-1, Hillebrand 4-6, Calvert 2-4, Loewe 0-2). Team fouls: Decorah 15, Ballard 12. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Decorah 30 (Gossman 10), Ballard 31 (Beall, Thompson 8). Assists: Decorah 8 (Duwe 3), Ballard 16 (Noe 5). Steals: Decorah 6 (Storhoff 2), Ballard 5 (Hillebrand 3). Turnovers: Decorah 7, Ballard 9.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com