Class 2A Basketball Championship Game
Dike-New Hartford 64, Central Lyon 49
Same matchup, same result
Dike-New Hartford and Central Lyon met in the Class 2A state championship game for the second year in a row and Dike-New Hartford prevailed again, winning 64-49 to claim its third consecutive title.
The Wolverines did it behind yet another big game from the Petersen twins, Payton and Jadyn, solid all-around play from their teammates and high-level defense.
The Petersens scored 19 points each, with Payton adding 11 rebounds and Jaydn pulling down nine. Payton, the all-tournament captain for the third straight year, made 9-of-12 shots on a variety of post-ups and putbacks. Jadyn, who also made the all-tournament team, got inside for layups by driving the ball into the lane or cutting to the basket and getting passes from her teammates. She went 7-for-9 from the field.
Maryn Bixby added 13 points, two assists and four steals for the Wolverines, Ellary Knock had eight points, five rebounds and four assists and Camille Landphair contributed five points – all on free throws. While the Wolverines don’t rely extensively on perimeter shooting, Bixby and Knock were sharp from distance, combining to go 5-for-10.
Desta Hoogendoorn led Central Lyon with 16 points and seven rebounds and Dionne Jansma added 12. The Wolverines were able to contain the Lions’ long-range shooting specialist, Addison Klosterbuer, holding her to nine points on 3-for-11 shooting.
Klosterbuer did made two 3-pointers to give her 14 for the tournament, breaking the 2A record of 13 she set last year and just one short of the all-tournament record held by Elle Ruffridge of Pocahontas.
Dike-New Hartford, which beat Central Lyon 59-52 in last year’s title game, scored the first five points in this one and led the rest of the way. Bixby’s high-arching 3 from the right corner just before the halftime buzzer gave the Wolverines a 32-21 lead and they led by as many as 17 before Central Lyon made a brief run.
The Lions ran off five straight points to draw to 57-47 midway through the fourth quarter but got no closer. Payton Petersen made the first of two free throws and after she missed the second, Payton muscled in for the rebound and scored on a putback. Less than 30 seconds later, Bixby lobbed the ball to Payton Petersen and she dropped in another layup to make it 62-47 and it wasn’t long before the Wolverines were celebrating another championship.
The Wolverines shot 61.5 percent and held Central Lyon to 38.8 percent shooting, including 5-for-15 from 3-point range.
Dike-New Hartford lost only to Class 1A finalist Algona Bishop Garrigan this season and finished 26-1. The Wolverines have won nine straight tournament games, which matches the fourth-longest streak of all time, and own an impressive 10-3 state tourney record in six appearances. Central Lyon, the Class 1A champion in 2013, lost for the first time in 25 games.
Hoogendoorn and Klosterbuer joined the Petersens on the all-tournament team along with Sibley-Ocheyedan’s Madison Brouwer and Akaysa Duitscher of Pocahontas.
The Petersen twins and Bixby are juniors so look for Dike-New Hartford to field another strong team next season.