L-S boys advance to district final after win over Hillcrest Academy

SULLY — Klayton Van Dyke posted a double-double, three Hawks scored in double figures and the Lynnville-Sully boys’ basketball team advanced to the Class 1A District 12 championship game with a 56-48 victory over Hillcrest Academy on Friday.

The district semifinal matchup was scheduled to be played on Thursday but was pushed back a day due to weather.

“We knew it would be a tough game,” L-S head boys basketball coach Nick Harthoorn said. “The boys battled hard on the defensive end and on the boards. We turned it over a few more times than we would like, but we found a way to get it done in the end.”

The Hawks shot 52 percent from the floor and dominated on the boards but turned the ball over 14 times.

They led by five after one quarter and went into halftime with an eight-point advantage. Both teams scored 29 points in the second half.

Van Dyke led L-S with 12 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. Mitchell Miller added 14 points and five assists, Preston Rodibaugh collected 13 points and eight rebounds and Corder Noun Harder chipped in eight points, eight rebounds, seven assists and two steals.

Conner Maston tallied seven points, four rebounds and three assists and Dawson James grabbed three rebounds off the bench.

The Hawks (21-2) made more than half of their shots from the floor despite shooting 4-of-13 from 3-point range. They were 8-of-13 from the free-throw line and out-rebounded Hillcrest Academy 34-19.

Luke Schrock scored 19 points, Seth Ours added 16 points and Grant Bender put in 10 points to lead Hillcrest Academy. Only one other player scored.

Hillcrest Academy (12-11) shot 33 percent from the floor, made 7-of-22 from 3 and connected on 7-of-7 from the foul line. It turned the ball over seven times.

The Hawks face North Mahaska (19-4) in the district championship game at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in Knoxville. L-S is 2-0 against its conference rivals this season.

Lynnville-Sully 75, English Valleys 41

A dominant first half was all Lynnville-Sully needed against English Valleys on Tuesday during Class 1A District 12 quarterfinal action.

The Hawks made half of their shots from the floor, dominated on the glass and had significant advantages in bench points and second-chance points during a 75-41 home win.

The Hawks led 23-11 after one quarter and outscored the Bears 50-20 in the first two frames.

“The guys did a great job moving the ball offensively,” Harthoorn said. “That ball movement resulted in 21 assists. We had a nice advantage on the offensive boards and we were able to keep our turnovers under 10. Those are all good signs for us.”

Van Dyke led four Hawks in double figures with 18 points, eight rebounds and two assists.

Miller finished with 16 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals, Rodibaugh tallied 12 points, three rebounds and four assists and James added 13 points and seven boards off the bench.

Maston collected six points, three rebounds, five assists and five steals and Noun Harder finished with five assists and two steals.

The Hawks had a 23-2 advantage in bench points. Keegan DeWitt had five points and four rebounds, Blake Van Wyk chipped in three points and two boards and Hendrick Lowry swiped two steals off the bench.

Lynnville-Sully shot 50 percent from the floor, made 6-of-15 from 3 and connected on 1-of-4 from the foul line.

The hosts out-rebounded English Valleys 37-20, had a 35-4 advantage in second-chance points and held a 29-5 surplus on points off turnovers.

The Hawks, who also defeated English Valleys 73-36 back on Jan. 13, turned the ball over just nine times and swiped 18 steals.

English Valleys (5-18) was led by Reese Bender’s 18 points. The Bears shot 38 percent from the floor despite making 10-of-18 from 3. The Hawks were 1-of-2 from the foul line and committed 23 turnovers.