Iowa girls' state basketball: A closer look at Wednesday's area games

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

Class 2A quarterfinals

No. 3 North Linn (22-2) vs. No. 8 Western Christian (17-7)

Time: 11:45 a.m.

Top players: Grace Flanagan (5-8, sr.) paces a veteran North Linn squad, averaging 18.3 points, 4.5 assists and 4.1 steals per game. She shoots 48.3 percent from 3-point range. Ellie Ware (6-0, jr.) adds 11.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, and Abby Flanagan (5-10, sr.) scores at a 10.2-point clip. Olivia Granstra (5-8, sr.) is the top scorer for Western Christian at 13.0 points per game. Abby Postma (5-11, sr.) adds 10.2 ppg.

Coaches: North Linn Coach Brian Wheatley owns a 301-81 record in 15 seasons, leading the Lynx to 10 straight seasons of 20-plus wins. Justin Negen is 72-25 in four years at Western Christian.

Tournament history: North Linn is in the field for the sixth time, its fifth in the last seven years. The Lynx were 2A runners-up in 2015. Western Christian is an 11-time qualifier, with 2A titles in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2017.

BC Moore computer projection: Western Christian by 1

Class 1A quarterfinals

No. 5 Montezuma (23-1) vs. No. 7 Saint Ansgar (21-2)

Time: 3:15 p.m.

Top players: University of Iowa signee Shateah Wetering (5-11, sr.) is the headliner for Montezuma, averaging 23.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Elise Boulton (5-5, jr.) adds 12.9 points per game and has made 71 3-pointers. Hali Anderson (5-6, jr.) tops Saint Ansgar at 17.0 points and 6.8 assists per game. Gracie Urbatsch (5-10, jr.) and Brooklyn Hackbart (5-11, jr.) add 11.8 and 11.7 points per game, respectively.

Coaches: Janel Burgess has led Montezuma to three straight state tournaments and owns a 75-7 mark in three seasons. Scott Cakerice is 37-7 in two years at Saint Ansgar, 88-88 in nine seasons overall.

Tournament history: Montezuma has qualified for the 14th time, the third in a row. The Bravettes were a six-player dynasty with state titles in 1969 and 1970. Saint Ansgar is making its sixth trip, its first since 2001.

BC Moore computer projection: Montezuma by 16

Wednesday's other games

Class 2A quarterfinals

No. 2 West Hancock (24-1) vs. No. 12 Logan-Magnolia (21-3), 10 a.m.

Class 1A quarterfinals

No. 1 Newell-Fonda (24-0) vs. Council Bluffs St. Albert (13-11), 1:30 p.m.

No. 2 Bellevue Marquette (23-1) vs. Le Mars Gehlen (15-9), 5 p.m.

No. 4 Algona Garrigan (23-1) vs. Martensdale-St. Marys (18-8), 6:45 p.m.

Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com