Class 2A Semifinals

Dike-New Hartford 61, Sibley-Ocheyedan 56
Box Score | Game Summary

Central Lyon 65, Pocahontas Area 44
Box Score | Game Summary

Class 1A Semifinals

Algona Bishop Garrigan 73, Remsen-St. Mary’s 39
Box Score | Game Summary

Newell-Fonda 66 North Linn 48
Box Score Summary

Class 5A Championship

Pleasant Valley 59, Johnston 56
Box Score | Game Summary

Pleasant Valley’s defense rose to the occasion again and this time, it carried the Spartans to a state championship.

Thriving on its 2-3 zone defense all season, Pleasant Valley held Johnston scoreless for the first 6 minutes of the fourth quarter and opened a lead just big enough to hold on for a 59-56 victory over the defending champions and claim the Class 5A title.

Jessie Clemons scored 18 points to lead the Spartans, who until last year had never won a state tournament game and lost to Johnston in the semifinals a year ago. All-tournament captain Halle Vice added 14 points, Reagan Pagniano scored 13, including four key free throws at the end, and Addy Maurer finished with 12 as Pleasant Valley put the finishing touches on a 26-0 season.

Johnston’s Aili Tanke drained seven 3-pointers to tie a 5A tournament record and finished with 23 points, a figure matched by teammate Aaliyah Riley. Emma Hampton added seven for the Dragons, who played in the championship game for the fourth straight year. They won in 2020 and finished second to Waukee in 2021.

It was a game worthy of a championship contest. The lead changed hands 13 times in the first half before ending in a tie at 30. Pleasant Valley never trailed after Clemons and Vice hit back-to-back 3-pointers for a 42-38 lead midway through the third quarter, though the Spartans had to work to stay ahead.

Class 5A All-Tournament Team
Alli Tanke, Johnston
Jessie Clemens, Pleasant Valley
Ava Zediker, Dowling Catholic
Jaeden Pratt, Ankeny Centennial
Aaliyah Riley, Johnston
Halle Vice, Pleasant Valley (Captain)

Iowa Pork Producers Top Producer of the Game
Jessie Clemens, Pleasant Valley

Class 3A Championship

Sioux Center 62, Benton Community 47
Box Score | Game Summary

Sioux Center dominated around the basket, cashed in at the free throw line and is taking home a state championship as its reward.

The Warriors got 17 points from Willow Bleeker and 16 from Tatum Schmalbeck in defeating Benton Community 62-47 to claim the Class 3A title. It’s the first championship for the Warriors and veteran coach Doug Winterfeld, who guided them runner-up finishes in 3A in 2017 and 2018.

Sioux Center used its size advantage to keep Benton away from the basket and built a 27-10 edge in points in the paint. The Warriors also got themselves to the free throw line, making 20 of 30, mostly because of Bleeker and Schmalbeck.

Sioux Center closes its memorable season with a 21-5 record. Four of those losses were to tournament qualifiers. Benton, which had been winless in four state tournament games before this year, closes with a 23-4 record.

Class 3A All-Tournament Team
Tatum Schmalbeck, Sioux Center
McKenna Kramer, Benton Community
Hailey Miller, Solon
Alyssa Griffith, Vinton-Shellsburg
Jenna Twedt, Benton Community
Willow Bleeker, Sioux Center (captain)

Iowa Pork Producers Top Producer of the Game
Willow Bleeker, Sioux Center

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa fifth-year Monika Czinano has been named a 2023 Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Finalist, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and WBCA announced on Friday. Czinano was a semifinalist for the award in 2022.

The list is comprised of five student-athletes who are still in the running for the sixth annual Lisa Leslie Award that recognizes the best center in women’s basketball.

This season, Czinano was an All-Big Ten First Team selection by the coaches and media. She is averaging 17.2 ppg and 6.5 rpg. Czinano has been top five in field goal percentage the last four seasons and is third all-time leading scorer in Iowa women’s basketball history.

Fans can support their favorite player by participating in Fan Voting, presented by Dell Technologies, starting today on hoophallawards.com. The Fan Vote will count as one committee vote during the finalist selection process.

This month, the finalists will be presented to Leslie and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The Selection Committee for the Lisa Leslie Award is composed of top women’s college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.

The winner of the 2023 Lisa Leslie Award will be presented on a to be determined date, along with the other four members of the Women’s Starting Five. Additional awards being presented include the Nancy Lieberman Award (Point Guard), Ann Meyers Drysdale Award (Shooting Guard), Cheryl Miller Award (Small Forward) and the Katrina McClain Award (Power Forward), in addition to the Men’s Starting Five.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa high school girls’ basketball tournament isn’t the ONLY tournament underway in Des Moines this weekend. Both Saturday and Sunday, the Iowa State Fairgrounds is the setting for the state archery tournament. It’s gathering some 22-hundred students from more than 125 schools across Iowa. It’s the largest youth archery tournament in the state. Participation in the program has bounded since its start in 2006, drawing more than 45-hundred students this year.

Students with the Atlantic Middle-and High Schools will be competing.

Organizers say archery is a great youth sport because there are no limitations and students of all physical and athletic abilities can take part — and succeed. Students will be aiming for thousands of dollars in college scholarships, as well as thousands of dollars in archery equipment for their schools.

The UNI women’s basketball team picked up their 20th win of the season on Thursday night with an 85-76 victory over Southern Illinois at the McLeod Center. The Panthers made a season high 61% of their shots from three, knocking down 11 of them to grab the win.

Grace Boffeli had 21 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Panthers. Kam Finley added 17 points and Emerson Green and Maya McDermott each had 15.

UNI improved to 20-8 overall and 15-4 in the Valley. The Panthers end the regular season with their final game at home against the Missouri State Lady Bears. UNI will honor its two senior players and one senior manager on Saturday afternoon following the game. Tip-off from the McLeod Center is set for 2 p.m. against Missouri State.

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa junior forward Kris Murray has been named to the Oscar Robertson Trophy Late Season Top 15. The announcement was made on Thursday by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. Members of the association’s board of directors chose the players that will be considered as contenders for the National Player of the Year.

Chosen by a poll of national college basketball experts based on their performances during the 2022-23 season thus far, the list comprises of 20 student-athletes who are front-runners for one of the sport’s most prestigious honor.

Murray is also on the Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 and a semifinalist for the Karl Malone Award.

Murray (6-foot-8, 220 pounds) is averaging a team-best 20.5 points and eight rebounds per outing. He is the only Division I player to average 20+ points, 8+ rebounds, and have made 55+ 3-pointers this season.

The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native has scored 30+ points four times this season, 25+ points nine times, and 20+ points 14 times.

Murray and the Hawkeyes (19-11, 11-8) return to action on Sunday against Nebraska (15-15, 8-11) in Iowa City. The contest is sold out. The game will be televised nationally on Big Ten Network and broadcast on the Hawkeye Radio Network.

The Drake University women’s basketball picked up an 83-63 win over Missouri State at the Knapp Center on Thursday night. The Bulldogs (18-9, 13-6) never trailed and built a lead as wide as 25 in their victory, evening the season series at 1-1.

The tandem of Maggie Bair and Anna Miller led the Bulldogs on both ends of the floor. Bair recorded her 10th double-double of the season with 20 points and 12 rebounds to go along with two assists. Miller chipped in with 18 points on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting night and stuffed the stat sheet elsewhere with eight boards, four assists, four blocks, and three steals.

Three other Bulldogs netted double figures as Grace Berg, Sarah Beth Gueldner, and Taylor McAulay all scored 10 points each.

The Bulldogs will be back in action at the Knapp Center on Saturday, Mar. 4 for the regular season finale. Drake will host Southern Illinois at 2 p.m. with their annual Senior Day ceremony following the completion of the contest.

First Team
Lindsey Davis, Nodaway Valley, JR**
Sadie Cox, Lenox, SO
Layni Masters, Central Decatur, SR
Brynnly German, Martensdale-St. Marys, JR
Campbell German, Martensdale-St. Marys, JR
Izzy Eisbach, Nodaway Valley, FR
**Unanimous

Second Team
Tegan Streit, Mount Ayr, SR
Alivia Ruble, SE Warren, SR
Noelle McKnight, East Union, SR
Sophia Shannon, Martensdale-St. Marys, JR
Zoey Reed, Lenox, SO
Breya Nickel, Mount Ayr, SO

Honorable Mention
Bridgett Murphy, Bedford, JR
Harrisen Bevan, Central Decatur, SR
Sidney Staver, East Union, FR
Cadence Douglas, Lenox, SR
Carolyn AMfahr, Martensdale-St. Marys, JR
Tabby Henle, Mount Ayr, SR
Jorja Holliday, Nodaway Valley, JR
Maggie Haer, SW Valley, SR
Clara O’Brien, Wayne, JR

Final Conference Standings
Nodaway Valley 13-0
Martensdale-St. Marys 12-1
Mount Ayr 10-3
Central Decatur 9-4
Lenox 7-6
Wayne 5-8
SW Valley 5-8
Bedford 2-11
East Union 1-12
SE Warren 1-12

Iowa quarterback Cade McNamara has quickly become a part of his new program. The former Michigan standout transferred to Iowa and hopes to fix an offense that was one of the nation’s worst last season.

McNamara led Michigan to a Big Ten title in 2021 and is confident the Hawkeyes can make a run next season.

The Hawkeyes finished 8-5 last season which included a win over Kentucky in the Music City Bowl.

The seventh ranked Iowa Hawkeye women open the Big Ten Tournament in the Twin Cities Friday night against Purdue. The Hawkeyes beat the Boilers back in late December in their only meeting of the season.

That’s Iowa coach Lisa Bluder who says Purdue has a lot to play for. The Boilers rallied to beat Wisconsin Thursday night.

Bluder says quick turnarounds in tournament play are a challenge mentally and physically.

The Hawkeyes are 23-6.

Drake coach Darian DeVries hopes experience is a plus as the Bulldogs get set to play Murray State in Friday night’s quarterfinal round of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament in St. Louis. The Bulldogs are 24-7 and the second seed in the tournament.

De Vries does not subscribe to the theory that it is tough to beat a team three times. The Bulldogs swept the regular season series against the Racers.

Depth was a factor in Drake’s late season run that saw them win 10 of their last 11 and DeVries says it will be crucial in a tournament run.

DeVries says in tournament play every possession is crucial.