DES MOINES — A semifinal showdown between top-ranked Dike-New Hartford and fourth-rated Panorama will tip at 10 a.m. Friday at the Class 2A Girls State Basketball Tournament.
The defending state champion and top-seeded Wolverines (23-2) advanced with a 64-44 blasting of South Central Calhoun in a Tuesday quarterfinal, with the fourth-seeded Panthers (25-1) moving on after dispatching Iowa City Regina, 46-48, Tuesday.
The 11:45 a.m. semifinal will pit two-seed Denver (23-2), a 58-51 winner over Underwood Wednesday, and third-seed Central Lyon (23-2), who nicked Cascade, 42-40, on a last second shot in the fourth quarterfinal.
D-NH and Panorama mirror each other in many ways. The Wolverines and Panthers are 1-2 in total scoring and average 64 and 61 points per game, respectively, while surrendering just 31 and 29 points per game.
The Wolverines are true rebounding power, with 5-10 sophomore Payton Petersen averaging 8.8 boards per outing while Panther post Jaidyn Sellers clears 6.3 per game. Petersen is second in total offensive rebounds with 111 with Sellers third at 98.
Two true advantages in favor of Panorama are in steals, with the team leading 2A by a large margin with 543 thefts, or 20.8 per game. Payton Beckman leads 2A with 123 swipes while Laci Rishel is tied for third at 107.
Another edge is at the foul line, where the Panthers are 284-of-393 for a 2A-best 73 percent while the Wolverines have hit 206-of-365 (53.5 percent).
D-NH senior Sophia Hoffmann leads 2A with 145 assists, with Rishel fourth at 122.
Panorama is also clearly more accurate from beyond the 3-point arc and are currently 136-of-408 (33.3 percent) while D-NH is 117-of-436 (26.8 percent).
Experience strongly favors D-NH. Tuesday’s win was just the second in program history for Panorama in eight total games, while D-NH is the defending champion, was a 3A semifinalist two years ago and reached the 2A quarterfinal three years ago.
Payton Petersen averages 17.8 points and 8.8 boards per outing and leads 2A in field goal accuracy at 66 percent. Ellary Knock scores 10.6 points per game, with Jadyn Petersen scoring 8 points and grabbing 6.4 rebounds per contest.
School leading scorer Beckman (1,668 points) is third in 2A with 517 points and leads the team at 19.7 ppg. She averages 4.7 steals and 3.3 caroms, leads 2A in made treys at 67 and is hitting 40.1 percent on 3-point shots and is second in both free throws made (110) and accuracy at the stripe (83 percent).
Rishel averages 10.4 points, 4.1 steals and 4.7 assists per game and is 34-of-102 (33.3 percent) on 3-pointers.
Sophomore Jaidyn Sellers scores 9.04 points and grabs 6.3 caroms. An outstanding athlete, she is the defending state champ in the 100 and 200 meter dash and is often around the ball.
Angel Poldberg puts in 7.8 points per game, with Mia Waddle, Zoey Hambleton and Tyme Boettcher key components as well.
The 2A state championship will be decided at 4:45 p.m. Saturday.
