February 21, 2018 By Chris Varney
They tried to play last night but ice cancelled school in both districts so the Tigers and Dutch will take the floor tonight with the winner getting the final berth in the Class 4A Girls State Basketball Tournament. Coverage on 1410 KGRN and myiowainfo.com.
Grinnell beat Pella twice during the regular season, thumping the Dutch 72-39 at home in early December. Pella played the Tigers tough on their home floor but GHS pulled away in the third quarter thanks to Sienna Durr and won 80-66. Durr would set a Grinnell school record with 39 points at Pella — she was 15-29 shooting including 4-11 from three point land. Durr also added 9 rebounds and 6 assists.
If Pella is going to have any chance at winning, somebody will have to find a way to match up with Durr. 6’1″ Junior Emily Holterhaus has the size but Durr creates a mismatch because of her quickness and versatility. Durr has added a three point shot to her game which gives teams a dilemma on how to guard her. Most teams tend to bottle her up in the middle and try to frustrate her with contact from various bodies. Chances are Pella will try to do the same after Durr lit the Dutch up the last time.
Pella is a very similar team to Carlisle, the team Grinnell beat in the regional semifinals. Both teams have good post players and play hard nosed defense. Tigers Head Coach Trent Edsen calls Pella an improved version of Carlisle. Grinnell was a little surprised by how hard Carlisle played D on Saturday but they will not be surprised with Pella.
Grinnell will have to focus their defensive energy on stopping Senior Chloe Van Vlet. She had 22 points in their last meeting and can be a good inside and outside threat. My guess is that she will get to know Macy Harris really well on the defensive end — Van Vlet is tall and lanky but Harris can be tenacious on defense. Holterhaus will get some points inside but Durr should be able to keep her in the teens for points instead of erupting for 20 or more. The rest of the Dutch have not shown any offensive explosiveness but they are all capable players. Erica Bossard is the number three threat.
One of the biggest keys will be how many turnovers can the Tigers create. Megan Doty, Kameron Moore, and Naomi Jackson can wreck havoc all over the court and create opportunities. This allows Harris to anticipate bad passes and get steals as well. If Grinnell can run up and down the court at will, it will be a blowout. If Grinnell hits their threes early, it will be a blowout. If Pella can control their turnovers and somebody emerges from the outside as a threat, the Dutch have a chance.
The Dutch have been to the state tournament the last 2 years in a row and 20 times total. Grinnell only once and that was last year with a first round exit. If Grinnell wins tonight, they will play #7 Mason City in the first round. If Pella wins, they will face #2 Lewis Central.