Jeff Johnson

The Iowa Heartlanders have eight games remaining in the ECHL regular season, including seven at home. The Cedar Rapids RoughRiders have seven games left in the USHL regular season. Both clubs look are looking good for qualifying for the playoffs in their respective leagues.

The state’s all-time leading career prep scorer at Wapsie Valley and a former college standout at Northern Iowa, Brooks McKowen is stepping down as head men’s basketball coach at Upper Iowa to take the head coaching job at Missouri Western.

The Kirkwood Community College men’s basketball team beat Parkland Community College on Saturday night to win the NJCAA Division II national championship. Four Iowans were in the starting lineup, including three from Eastern Iowa.

That’s two games in a row that the University of Iowa baseball team has scored a dozen runs against Ohio State. The Hawkeyes got five runs in the first inning Saturday and went on to a 12-5 victory.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association announced Tuesday that it is moving the boys’ state basketball tournament from Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines to Iowa State University’s Hilton Coliseum in Ames, beginning in 2027. Many coaches like the idea of being in a true basketball facility.

Beginning in 2027, the Iowa boys’ state basketball tournament will be held at Iowa State University’s Hilton Coliseum, the Iowa High School Athletic Association and ISU announced Tuesday.

The Iowa Professional Sports Writers Association has released its 2024-25 all-state boys’ basketball teams. Six players from the Gazette area have been named first teamers.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association announced Friday afternoon it has come to an agreement with Iowa PBS for broadcasts of football, boys’ basketball and wrestling state tournaments, beginning next school year.

Blake Aalbers hit a 3-point shot from about 24 feet with 1.6 seconds left to give MOC-Floyd Valley a 44-41 win over Cedar Rapids Xavier in the Class 3A boys’ state basketball tournament semifinals Thursday afternoon.

Two-time defending champion West Des Moines Valley tied this Class 4A state tournament semifinal Wednesday night against Linn-Mar with a putback at the buzzer, then won it in overtime, 58-56, on a made shot again at the buzzer.

Capsules for Thursday’s games involving area teams at the 2025 Iowa high school boys' state basketball tournament at Wells Fargo Arena.

North Linn’s boys’ basketball team had some good shots Wednesday morning in its Class 1A state basketball tournament quarterfinal. But not enough of them went in, and the Lynx fell to Gladbrook-Reinbeck, 61-55.

LaPorte City Union Community boys’ basketball players were certain Gavin Rohrbach was watching them play their Class 2A state tournament quarterfinal Tuesday night. The Knights lost to West Lyon, but surely Rohrbach, who died in September in an automobile accident, is proud of the season his teammates put together.

The Jesup boys’ basketball team had to win four games to get to the state tournament because it was a ‘3’ seed in its district. it upset Cascade, MFL MarMac and North Fayette Valley along the way. All of which made a 69-38 Class 2A quarterfinal loss to top-ranked Western Christian sting a lot less.

Cedar Rapids Xavier’s girls’ basketball team was an ‘8’ seed at last week’s state tournament but ended up winning a championship. Its boys’ basketball team is a ‘7’ this week, yet is on that title trajectory after a 52-37 win over unbeaten Knoxville in a Class 3A state tournament quarterfinal Tuesday.