The Warriors took control from tip-off to buzzer on Tuesday when they made their first state tournament appearance since 1940.
The Dutchmen of Pella took possession on the opening jump but were not able to score. On the other end of the court, SB-L’s Jackson Wright put it in for two underneath to get the team rolling and followed that up with another swift bucket. Sophomore Connor Groves got a steal for two points, and put the Warrior fans on their feet just minutes into the game.
Groves was the leading scorer with 17 points for the night. Sam DeMoss, Keegan Savary, and Jackson Wright joined him in double digits this game, scoring 12, 10, and 10 points respectively.
With sharp shooting from DeMoss, Savary, Ty Boekelman, and Chris Kroll, SB-L maintained their lead throughout the first quarter. After Kroll drained a three-pointer, Pella began to step up their game before the half. Nevertheless, the Warrior boys maintained their stride with a couple threes from Savary and Groves. By halftime, SB-L took a commanding 13-point lead, 31-18.
Key plays at key times kept the Warriors in the lead throughout the third quarter, including more threes from Savary and Groves and a steal for two by Kroll. But into the fourth, Pella was able to tie it up with 5 minutes to play.
The Sergeant Bluff boys would not give up though. They took aggressive shots at the rim, fought for rebounds, and were able to battle back from the deadlock. Up by five points with one minute left, the Warriors stuck with it until the game was won. With their 66-55 victory, the Warriors moved onto the semi-finals as one of the top four 3A teams in the state.
