Recap: Basketball

Basketball

Great opening rounds lead to surreal Finals Friday as COVID-19 crisis clears arena

DES MOINES, Iowa – A thrilling and action-packed state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena gave way to crisis concerns as the coronavirus (COVID-19) canceled sporting events around the world as Iowa high school boys' basketball wrapped up its 2019-20 season from March 9-13. An excellent quarterfinal round led a semifinal round that would ultimately be overshadowed by off-the-court news of other professional and collegiate events ending early because of the virus.

The 32 state qualifiers and four eventual champions played on, eventually in front of restricted crowds for the finals on Friday. All entrants were limited and walked into a quiet arena (see P. 19) for free for what is usually the most crowded day of the basketball season, including just 100 attendees (players and coaches included) per school.

Despite the lack of usual buzz and the surreal emotions of concluding a basketball season as a global pandemic was starting its spread in Iowa, the eight finalists performed admirably well and posted the highest-scoring finals round since the state tournament moved to Wells Fargo Arena in 2006.

Details from each class continue below.

CLASS 4A

The large-school class delivered drama as top-seeded Ankeny Centennial and two-time defending champion Cedar Falls escaped their quarterfinals by just two points each. Ankeny showed its potential early, ousting perennial power Iowa City, West on Wednesday morning behind a 41-point outburst from guard Braxton Bayless.

The Hawks kept up their hot-shooting to top Cedar Falls, and eventually met a tall and talented Waukee squad in the final. The Warriors fiercely tried to rally on Friday night, pouring in 39 points in the fourth quarter, but couldn't keep Ankeny from winning its first state title since 1995.

CLASS 3A

Norwalk swallowed a painful defeat in the 2019 final

Class 4A Tournament Results Quarterfinals

Waukee 58, North Scott, Eldridge 50 Ankeny Centennial 53, Davenport, North 51 Ankeny 68, Iowa City, West 54 Cedar Falls 64, Dowling Catholic, W.D.M. 62

Semifinals

Waukee 68, Ankeny Centennial 62 Ankeny 71, Cedar Falls 57

Consolation

Cedar Falls 65, Ankeny Centennial 58

Championship

Ankeny 78, Waukee 70

All-Tournament Team

Braxton Bayless, Ankeny (captain) Tucker DeVries, Waukee Landon Wolf, Cedar Falls Cody McCullough, Ankeny Centennial Payton Sandfort, Waukee

Class 3A Tournament Results Quarterfinals

Norwalk 72, Harlan 37 Ballard 54, Center Point-Urbana 48 Clear Creek-Amana 59, Mount Vernon 45 Sergeant Bluff-Luton 58, Pella 43

Semifinals

Norwalk 79, Ballard 61 Sergeant Bluff-Luton 55, Clear Creek-Amana 46

Consolation

Clear Creek-Amana 76, Ballard 73 (OT)

Championship

Norwalk 70, Sergeant Bluff-Luton 68

All-Tournament Team

Bowen Born, Norwalk (captain) Tyler Johnson, Norwalk Tyler Schrepfer, Clear Creek-Amana Connor Drew, Ballard Daniel Wright, Sergeant Bluff-Luton

Basketball against a massive Oskaloosa squad. In 2020, the Warriors would leave no doubt as they entered the tournament as 3A's top seed and followed senior star Bowen Born to their first title in program history. Sergeant Bluff-Luton gave Norwalk a scare in the final, clawing back to within two points in the final seconds, but Born earned All-Tournament Team captain honors for the second straight year.

CLASS 2A

A rugged 2A field offered no guarantees for a rematch of the 2019 final, but Boyden-Hull and North Linn both made it back on Friday afternoon. The Comets flipped the script in 2020 and used length with excellent passing and defense to advance and eventually top North Linn in the final.

Camanche and Treynor met in an up-tempo consolation matchup after impressively pouring in points to start off their tournaments on Monday and Tuesday. Camanche's thirdplace marked its best finish since 1985.

CLASS 1A

Wapsie Valley became the Cinderella story of the week, winning Class 1A from the No. 8 seed and giving coach Marty McKowen his first state title in a successful career spanning 38 seasons. Wapsie Valley topped Bishop Garrigan, making its first finals appearance, to start off Friday's championships.

Montezuma appeared in the semifinals for the second straight year, with Lake Mills and Springville making long-awaited returns to the state tournament.

Complete information and box scores from all 32 games of the 2020 tournament are available through the IHSAA website: iahsaa.org/basketball/state-tournament-central

Class 2A Tournament Results Quarterfinals

North Linn, Troy Mills 56, West Sioux, Hawarden 51 Treynor 69, Pella Christian 53 Boyden-Hull 57, Woodward-Granger 26 Camanche 67, Monticello 52

Semifinals

Boyden-Hull 64, Camanche 49 North Linn, Troy Mills 79, Treynor 58

Consolation

Camanche 77, Treynor 66

Championship

Boyden-Hull 64, North Linn, Troy Mills 51

All-Tournament Team

Austin Miller, North Linn (captain) Keyton Moser, Boyden-Hull Austin Hilmer, North Linn Marcus Kelderman, Boyden-Hull Tanner Te Slaa, Boyden-Hull

Class 1A Tournament Results Quarterfinals

Montezuma 75, Martensdale-St. Marys 50 Wapsie Valley, Fairbank 49, Lake Mills 45 Bishop Garrigan, Algona 55, Springville 52 West Fork, Sheffield 55, St. Mary’s, Remsen 53

Semifinals

Wapsie Valley, Fairbank 57, Montezuma 42 Bishop Garrigan, Algona 66, West Fork, Sheffield 52

Consolation

Montezuma 78, West Fork, Sheffield 72

Championship

Wapsie Valley, Fairbank 65, Bishop Garrigan, Algona 53

All-Tournament Team

Angelo Winkel, Bishop Garrigan (captain) Kiks Rosengarten, Wapsie Valley Trey Shearer, Montezuma John Joyce, Bishop Garrigan Gunner Meyer, Wapsie Valley