Iowa girls’ state basketball 2019: Thursday’s area games

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

Class 3A semifinals

No. 9 Waukon (19-3) vs. No. 1 North Polk (22-2)

Time: 1:30 p.m.

Top players: Annika Headington (5-7, soph.) and Maddie Ahlstrom (5-4, sr.) are the primary players for Waukon. Headington averages 11.5 points per game, and Ahlstrom contributes 11.4 points, 4.4 assists and 4.0 steals per contest. Maggie Phipps (5-10, soph.) leads North Polk at 19.7 points per game, and Jaedon Murphy (5-10, sr.) adds 13.9.

Coaches: Waukon's Greg Criswell is 33-10 in two years at Waukon, 150-51 in nine years overall. Clint Albertsen is 105-37 in six seasons at North Polk.

How they got here: Waukon won the rubber match in its three-game series this season with No. 7 Crestwood, 48-37. North Polk defeated Estherville-Lincoln Central, 59-47.

BC Moore computer projection: North Polk by 3

No. 3 Center Point-Urbana (22-2) vs. No. 5 Des Moines Christian (23-2)

Time: 3:15 p.m.

Top players: Wamac Conference West Division player of the year Callyn Fox (5-10, sr.) paces CPU at 14.1 points per game. Southern Illinois recruit Adrianna Katcher (5-11, jr.) adds 10.2 points per contest. Kalli Lawson (6-1, sr.) averages 13.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game for Des Moines Christian, and Moriah Prewitt (5-7, soph.) adds 11.6 ppg.

Coaches: Philip Klett is in his 11th year at CPU, from which he has assembled a 186-79 record. He is 221-93 in 13 years overall. Brad Johnson owns a 99-23 mark in five years at Des Moines Christian, and is 228-155 in 17 years overall.

How they got here: CPU forced 30 turnovers, got 19 points off the bench from Ryley Goebel and whipped West Marshall, 67-31. Des Moines Christian defeated Roland-Story, 49-41.

BC Moore computer projection: CPU by 8

Class 4A semifinals

No. 1 Marion (22-1) vs. No. 4 Mason City (16-8), 5 p.m.

Time: 5 p.m.

Top players: Northern Iowa recruit Kayba Laube (5-9, jr.) was the Wamac East player of the year and leads Marion at 16.8 points per game. Riley Wright (5-10, soph.) and Ella Van Weelden (6-1, soph.) add 12.2 and 10.3 points per game, respectively. University of Iowa signee Megan Meyer (5-9, sr.) owns a 25.2-point scoring average, and adds 4.7 assists per game. Anna Deets (5-8, jr.) scores at a 13.0-point clip.

Coaches: Corby Laube has coached 16 years at Marion — seven with the girls, nine with the boys. He has a 247-120 overall record, 128-39 with the girls. Curt Klaahsen has compiled a 174-111 mark in 12 years at Mason City and is 328-208 in 23 seasons overall.

How they got here: Marion rolled past No. 14 Cedar Rapids Xavier, 70-35, behind 25 points from Laube. Mason City got past No. 5 Waverly-Shell Rock, 55-49.

BC Moore computer projection: Marion by 7

Thursday's other games

Class 5A semifinals

No. 1 Johnston (22-2) vs. No. 8 West Des Moines Valley (18-5), 10 a.m.

No. 3 Southeast Polk (20-3) vs. No. 11 West Des Moines Dowling (17-7), 11:45 a.m.

Class 4A semifinals

No. 2 North Scott (20-3) vs. No. 6 Sioux City Heelan (19-5), 6:45 p.m.

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