‘Perfect storm’ goes against Clear Creek Amana in girls’ state basketball tournament

DES MOINES — Ava Locklear called it a “perfect storm, but just the opposite.”

Murphy’s Law? Yeah, that applies, too.

North Polk turned steals into quick points, points into an insurmountable lead. The second-ranked Comets whipped No. 7 Clear Creek Amana, 61-30, in a Class 4A quarterfinal at the girls’ state basketball tournament Tuesday afternoon at Wells Fargo Arena.

“We came out, ready to go right away,” said MaKayla Boatman, who sank the Clippers with 21 points and five steals. “Our guards really make for a good press. We like to get after it.”

North Polk (22-2) got after it, all right. The Comets collected 16 points off turnovers in the first quarter alone. They constructed scoring runs of 17-0 and 14-0 in the first half on their way to a 42-16 halftime lead.

“Turnovers just plagued us early,” CCA Coach P.J. Sweeney said. “They got a lot of easy baskets.”

The Comets enacted the continuous clock late in the third quarter when it was 53-18, and it rolled the rest of the way.

Liza Schaffer matched Boatman with 21 points.

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North Polk (22-2) advances to face No. 3 Sioux City Heelan (23-2) in a 4A semifinal at 6:45 p.m. Thursday.

Clear Creek Amana retired at 18-5. Locklear led the Clippers with 16 points and eight rebounds. Freshman Averie Lower added nine points, all on 3-pointers.

CCA returns four starters, and all key reserves, for 2023-24.

“We’ll feel this and we’ll recover,” Locklear said. “I think we’ll be ready to outperform this next year.”

Lower said, “This will give us the fire to get back here again.”

North Polk 61, Clear Creek Amana 30

Class 4A State Quarterfinal, at Des Moines

CLEAR CREEK AMANA (30): Kaylee Stratton 0-3 0-0 0, Averie Lower 3-8 0-0 9, Olivia Miller 0-4 0-0 0, Bliss Beck 1-3 0-0 2, Ava Locklear 6-14 4-6 16, Addie Campbell 0-0 0-0 0, Kiera Rogers 0-0 0-0 0, Sam Schrage 0-3 1-2 1, Lena Evans 0-1 0-0 0, Melissa Sweeney 1-1 0-0 2, Kennedy Stratton 0-0 0-0 0, Kelsey Leathers 0-0 0-0 0, Lucia Becares-Rodriguez 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 11-37 5-8 30.

NORTH POLK (61): MaKayla Boatman 9-17 1-2 21, Liza Schaffer 8-11 2-2 21, Abby Tuttle 3-5 0-2 6, Izzy McCool 0-3 0-0 0, Becca Aagard 2-5 0-0 4, Trinity Miller 0-1 0-0 0, Madi Nemmers 1-2 0-0 2, Maddy Simoens 0-0 0-0 0, Ashley Owen 0-0 0-0 0, Lauren Ausborn 1-1 0-0 2, Ava Husak 0-1 0-0 0, Kaylee Koudelka 1-1 0-0 2, Jada Podey 1-3 1-2 3, Aby Sander 0-0 0-0 0, Greta Dillinger 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 26-53 4-8 61.

Clear Creek Amana 8 8 7 7 — 30

North Polk 26 16 11 8 — 61

3-point goals: CCA 3-13 (Lower 3-8, Miller 0-3, Schrage 0-2), North Polk 5-16 (Boatman 2-3, Schaffer 3-5, Tuttle 0-1, McCool 0-1, Miller 0-1, Nemmers 0-1, Husak 0-1, Podey 0-1, Dillinger 0-2). Team fouls: CCA 5, North Polk 7. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: CCA 23 (Locklear 8), North Polk 33 (Aagard 6). Assists: CCA 5 (Locklear 3), North Polk 9 (Boatman 3). Steals: CCA 2 (Beck, Evans), North Polk 10 (Boatman 5). Turnovers: CCA 17, North Polk 8.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com