Class 5A Semifinals

10:00 a.m. – Johnston (21-3) vs. Iowa City High (24-0)
11: 45 a.m. – Iowa City West (17-7) vs. Indianola (21-3)

Class 4A Semifinals

1:30 p.m. – Center Point-Urbana (22-3) vs. Marion (24-0)
3:15 p.m. – Grinnell (22-2) vs. LeMars (18-6)

Class 3A Semifinals

5:00 p.m. – Crestwood (24-0) vs. North Polk (22-3)
6:45 p.m. – Monticello (20-5) vs. Sioux Center (25-0)

1A State Quarterfinal

Central Decatur, Leon 52, Montezuma 48

Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton 57, AGWSR, Ackley 47

Newell-Fonda 61, Kee, Lansing 45

Springville 54, Bishop Garrigan 36

2A State Quarterfinal

Cascade,Western Dubuque 61, Dike-New Hartford 44

North Union 47, Panorama, Panora 46

NEW YORK (AP) — The first Big Ten tournament game at Madison Square Garden featured a couple of teams that were a combined 1,665 miles — give or take — away from home, no players from New York City, and a kid from Iowa having a blast on the big stage.

The Big Ten opened a five-day run at the “Mecca of Basketball” with Jordan Bohannon leading Iowa past Illinois 96-87 on Wednesday night. Bohannon scored 25 points and had six assists, including a bounce pass to Luka Garza for a jam with 34 seconds left to keep the Illini at bay.

The 12th-seeded Hawkeyes (14-18) got solid work inside from Tyler Cook (19 points, five rebounds) and Garza (20 and eight) to go with the accurate shooting of Bohannon. The sophomore was 5 for 7 from 3-point range. Iowa will face fifth-seeded Michigan on Thursday. “They’re not an easy team to guard,” Iowa coach Fran McCaffrey said. “They share it. They spread you out. They have multiple 3-point shooters. They also have multiple drivers.”

The Exira-EHK Spartans turned up the defensive pressure in the second half and came away with a Class 1A Quarterfinal win over AGWSR 57-47.

It was a close game throughout the first half and the Spartans trailed by one 27-26 at the break. The Spartans were able to gain a 2 point edge by the end of the third quarter at 40-38. The Spartans then took over in the fourth outscoring the Cougars 17-9 in the final period.

Senior Kealey Nelson was a big difference maker in the second half with 12 points and a number of key steals and rebounds down the stretch. Nelson finished with 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 steals. Fellow senior Sophia Peppers worked hard to get to the free throw line in the second half, knocking down 10-12 from the line in the half to help seal the win. Peppers finished with 24 points and 9 rebounds. After the game Peppers said they knew what they needed to do in the 4th quarter to get the job done, and they turned up their intensity to win the game.

Exira-EHK Head Coach Tom Petersen talked about his seniors getting the job done, “I know it gets old saying it, but you don’t get two players like that in your program very often. So when you do you have to cherish it.”

AGWSR was led by 14 points from their star guard Mandy Willems but the Spartans were able to limit her outside shooting prowess with just two makes from downtown. The Cougars see their season end with a record of 21-4.

The Spartans improve to 25-1 and will move on to the Class 1A Semifinals on Friday. The Spartans will take on two-time defending champion Springville on Friday afternoon at 1:30pm.

Class 2A Quarterfinals

10:00 a.m. – #3 Cascade 61, #6 Dike-New Hartford 44
11:45 a.m. – #7 North Union 47, #2 Panorama 46

Class 1A Quarterfinals

1:30 p.m. – #1 Springville 54, #8 Algona Bishop Garrigan 36
3:15 p.m. – #4 Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton (23-1) vs. #5 AGWSR (21-2) – ON KJAN Pregame 1:45pm
5:00 p.m. – #3 Newell-Fonda (24-0) vs. #6 Kee (22-1)
6:45 p.m. – #2 Central Decatur (24-0) vs. #7 Montezuma (20-3)

Class 2A Quarterfinals

10:00 a.m. – #3 Cascade (22-3) vs. #6 Dike-New Hartford (23-2)
11:45 a.m. – #2 Panorama (23-1) vs. #7 North Union (21-2)

Class 1A Quarterfinals

1:30 p.m. – #1 Springville (21-3) vs. #8 Algona Bishop Garrigan (17-7)
3:15 p.m. – #4 Exira-Elk Horn-Kimballton (23-1) vs. #5 AGWSR (21-2) – ON KJAN Pregame 1:45pm
5:00 p.m. – #3 Newell-Fonda (24-0) vs. #6 Kee (22-1)
6:45 p.m. – #2 Central Decatur (24-0) vs. #7 Montezuma (20-3)

(From the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union)

Sioux Center is a step closer to a return to the Class 3A championship game.

In a matchup of two teams that press and scramble throughout the game, second-ranked Sioux Center turned back No. 10 Red Oak 76-60 to complete the 3A quarterfinal round and end the Tigers’ 16-game winning streak.

The Warriors held a 13-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, then had to fend off the Tigers the rest of the way. Red Oak got the lead down to 55-48 with a little more than six minutes remaining and what followed was a wild stretch in which Red Oak couldn’t make the shots it needed to get any closer and Sioux Center couldn’t hit the shots it needed to break the game open once and for all.

Sioux Center finally got it done with a couple of big shots. Alyssa Mulder hit a set shot from the right corner to make it 66-54 with 2:29 left and Camryn Cleveringa buried a 3-pointer for a 69-56 lead. Lexi Toering’s layup with 1:24 remaining stretched the lead to 71-57 and the Warriors, last year’s state runners-up, could start thinking about the next round.

Sioux Center will take a 23-2 record against ninth-ranked Monticello at 6:45 p.m. Thursday.

Toering made 10 of 12 shots to lead Sioux Center with 20 points and 10 rebounds. It was a nice comeback for Toering, who was held to four points on 1-for-6 shooting in last year’s title game loss to Pocahontas Area.

Victoria Rensink added 16 points for Sioux Center, while Cleveringa and Jordyn Van Mannen each scored 13.

Red Oak couldn’t quite get it down after upsetting third-ranked Cherokee in the regional finals and finishes 21-3. Sierra Athen led the Tigers with 19 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to break the 3A tournament record of 14 set in 2014 by Unity Christian’s Anna Kiel.

Hannah Vial scored 14 points for Red Oak, Ellie Rengstorf had 13 and Sophie Walker 11 to go with six steals. Red Oak finished with 16 steals and Sioux Center had 13.

CLASS 4A:

Cedar Falls 62, Dubuque, Hempstead 56
Iowa City, West 49, Cedar Rapids, Kennedy 40
Johnston 87, Des Moines, North 79 (OT)
Muscatine 58, Linn-Mar, Marion 55
North Scott, Eldridge 53, Dubuque, Senior 52
Sioux City, East 63, Council Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln 59
Valley, West Des Moines 34, Des Moines, Hoover 31
Waukee 39, Dowling Catholic, West Des Moines 36

Class 4A Quarterfinals

10:00am- #7 LeMars 52, #2 Lewis Central 43

Class 3A Quarterfinals

11:45am- #1 Crestwood 66, #8 South Tama 28
1:30pm- #5 North Polk 64, #4 Davenport Assumption 47
3:15pm-#6 Monticello 61, #3 Clear Lake 50
5:00pm- #2 Sioux Center 76, #7 Red Oak 60

Class 2A Quarterfinals

6:45pm- #1 Treynor 54, #8 West Sioux 30
8:30pm- #5 Grundy Center 46, #4 Iowa City Regina 45