Suddenly surging, CPU tops West Delaware in a 3A girls’ basketball regional semifinal

MANCHESTER — For Center Point-Urbana, this girls’ basketball season easily could have circled the proverbial drain.

“Give the girls credit,” Coach Philip Klett said. “It really could have gone south.”

Instead, if the Stormin’ Pointers earn one more win, they’ll be making an unlikely trek west.

Mya Hillers scored a career-high 21 points, and CPU won its rubber match with West Delaware, 58-44, in a Class 3A regional semifinal Wednesday night at Seedorff Gymnasium.

“We got a couple of key wins that boosted our confidence,” Hillers said. “We just kept grinding.”

Once 2-10, the Stormin’ Pointers (10-13) have won eight of their last 11 games. They advance to face No. 7 Dubuque Wahlert (18-5) in a regional final at 7 p.m. Saturday at Wahlert.

The winner advances to the state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

“Good things are happening right now,” Klett said.

Good things, like 13 steals, which played a big role in West Delaware’s 21 turnovers. Good things, like 10 3-pointers (in 22 attempts).

“We all play a role, and we all trust each other,” Hillers said.

West Delaware (10-13) stacked an early 16-3 run for an 18-10 lead, but the Stormin’ Pointers ruled much of the rest of the game.

CPU led 27-23 by halftime, then scored the first nine points of the third quarter, holding the Hawks scoreless for 6 1/2 minutes.

The closest that West Delaware got from that point on was nine points.

“We wanted to make it tough for (the Hawks’) Brooke (Krogmann) inside,” Klett said. “One person couldn’t do it by herself; we had to do it as a group.”

Krogmann entered the game averaging 18.9 points and 10.9 rebounds per game. Thursday, it was 14 and seven.

Susie Funke led the Hawks with 16 points and eight boards.

Hillers was CPU’s lone double-digit scorer. Josie Klett added eight points, Avery Sweeney seven, Deni Katcher and Addy Tupa six apiece.

Tupa distributed seven assists.

“I try to do my best getting my teammates open,” Tupa said. “I try to do my role and create for them. Whoever makes it, makes it. It doesn’t matter.”

Both teams started four juniors and a sophomore.

Center Point-Urbana 58, West Delaware 44

Class 3A Regional Semifinal, at Manchester

CENTER POINT-URBANA (58): Avery Sweeney 3-6 0-0 7, Deni Katcher 2-5 0-0 6, Josie Klett 2-6 2-2 8, Addy Tupa 2-5 2-2 6, Mya Hillers 7-16 3-7 21, Grace Estling 2-5 1-3 5, Addilyn Wade 0-0 0-0 0, Sophia Simon 1-2 2-2 5, Maya Burkhart 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 19-46 10-16 58.

WEST DELAWARE (44): Kirstyn Kolbet 2-4 1-2 5, Norah Peyton 1-2 0-0 2, Susie Funke 5-7 4-4 16, Brooke Krogmann 5-12 4-5 14, Josie McMahon 2-5 0-0 4, Vedah Langel 0-5 0-0 0, Lena Petlon 1-4 0-0 3. Totals 16-39 9-11 44.

Center Point-Urbana 9 18 12 19 — 58

West Delaware 16 7 4 17 — 44

3-point goals: CPU 10-22 (Sweeney 1-1, Katcher 2-3, Klett 2-4, Tupa 0-2, Hillers 4-9, Estling 0-1, Simon 1-1, Burkhart 0-1), West Delaware 3-14 (Kolbet 0-2, Funke 2-4, Krogmann 0-2, McMahon 0-1, Langel 0-4, Petlon 1-1). Team fouls: CPU 14, West Delaware 12. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: CPU 24 (Hillers 6), West Delaware 31 (Funke 8). Assists: CPU 11 (Tupa 7), West Delaware 11 (Peyton 4). Steals: CPU 13 (Katcher, Estling 3), West Delaware 2 (Peyton 2). Turnovers: CPU 11, West Delaware 21.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com