Smothering defense sends CPU past West Delaware, 54-29

CENTER POINT — Ryley Goebel still had a minor cough in a postgame interview, the only remaining evidence of the influenza that had kept her out of the previous game.

On the court, she was A-OK. So was Center Point-Urbana’s “D.”

The sixth-ranked Stormin’ Pointers collected 20 steals and forced West Delaware into 25 turnovers. That was the tale in CPU’s 54-29 Class 3A girls’ basketball regional-semifinal triumph Wednesday night at Center Point-Urbana High School.

“We’re at our best when our defense is locked in,” CPU Coach Philip Klett said. “We’ve really turned it up the last couple of weeks. We wanted to make them work for everything, contesting without fouling.”

The Stormin’ Pointers (20-3) advance to Saturday’s regional final against No. 13 Vinton-Shellsburg (15-8), a 53-49 victor over Dubuque Wahlert.

Game time is 7 p.m. at Cedar Rapids Xavier.

Goebel and teammate Ryanne Hansen missed CPU’s regional opener with the flu. They returned to school Monday, and both made a major impact.

A senior and a UNI signee, Goebel scored 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Hansen made all four of her shots in an eight-point outing.

Both were instrumental in the defensive effort.

“We tried to steal it with our press, and we wanted to mess up what they were doing,” Goebel said.

Because of all of those turnovers, West Delaware (10-13) managed just 29 field-goal attempts.

“We were willing to take chances,” CPU’s Nicole Rick said. “We know there’s always going to be help.”

The Stormin’ Pointers shot a tidy 56 percent (22 of 39).

CPU scored the first six points and led throughout. West Delaware tallied the first six points of the second quarter to tie it, 14-14, but the Stormin’ Pointers closed the half with a 13-4 run for a 27-18 halftime advantage.

It was 30-21 before CPU went on another run, a 21-2 surge to blow it open for good.

Rick added 10 points, and the CPU bench supplied 11.

Freshman Brooke Krogmann, the cornerstone for a bright West Delaware future, led the Hawks with 12 points. Ella Koloc added eight points, five rebounds and four steals.

The Hawks surpassed last year’s win total by six.

Center Point-Urbana 54, West Delaware 29

Class 3A Regional Semifinal, at Center Point

WEST DELAWARE (29): Ella Koloc 2-9 3-4 8, Alivia Schulte 1-1 0-0 2, Kennedy Klostermann 2-4 0-0 5, Claire Ridenour 0-1 0-1 0, Josie McMahon 1-2 0-0 2, Susie Funke 0-2 0-0 0, Keara Emerson 0-0 0-0 0, Haley Hamm 0-1 0-0 0, Kirstyn Kolbet 0-0 0-0 0, Andrea Wubbens 0-0 0-0 0, Kennedy Kolbet 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 11-29 5-9 29.

CENTER POINT-URBANA (54): Tayler Reaves 1-3 0-0 2, Ryanne Hansen 4-4 0-0 8, Ryley Goebel 8-11 2-3 18, Addy Tupa 2-4 0-0 5, Nicole Rick 4-8 1-2 10, Kora Katcher 0-1 2-2 2, Laine Hadsall 1-1 0-2 2, Alivia Sweeney 2-2 0-0 5, Mya Hillers 0-4 0-0 0, Avery Sweeney 0-0 2-2 2, Maggie Mathis 0-0 0-0 0, Kailey Spurlock 0-0 0-0 0, Josie Klett 0-1 0-0 0, Jaclyn Wooldridge 0-0 0-0 0, Sophia Simon 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-39 7-11 54.

West Delaware 8 10 5 6 — 29

Center Point-Urbana 14 13 20 7 — 54

3-point goals: West Delaware 2-9 (Koloc 1-2, Klostermann 1-3, Ridenour 0-1, Krogmann 0-2, Funke 0-1), CPU 3-11 (Reaves 0-2, Tupa 1-2, Rick 1-5, Sweeney 1-1, Hillers 0-1). Team fouls: West Delaware 14, CPU 13. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: West Delaware 20 (Koloc 5), CPU 20 (Tupa 4). Assists: West Delaware 7 (Schulte 4), CPU 6 (Goebel, Tupa 2). Steals: West Delaware 5 (Koloc 4), CPU 20 (Goebel 4). Turnovers: West Delaware 25, CPU 12.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com