The Pella boys were able to hold off a late-game charge by Oskaloosa last night, as they defeated the Indians 73-63 in Little Hawkeye Conference play.  Oskaloosa played well in front of their home crowd, matching several Pella scoring runs with rallies of their own to continue to keep themselves within striking distance until the final minutes of the game.  

The final threat to Pella’s lead came in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, as the Indians cut Pella’s eight-point lead all the way down to three before the Little Dutch were able to respond with a handful of solid offensive possessions and stifling defense at the other end of the floor.  Eventually Pella would ice the game at the free throw line to head home with the hard-fought, ten-point victory.  

Leading all players in scoring was Pella’s Schyler Kane, who seemed unable to miss at times in the first half – on his way to a 20-point night.  The Little Dutch also got 13 points from Chris Bandstra and 11 points from Josh Pringle; as ten players cracked the scoring column.  Oskaloosa was led by 15 points from Erik McGee, while Malaki Wills chipped in 14 points.  

The win improves the Pella boys’ record to  5-1 this season, including 3-1 in conference play.  Up next is a home contest against South Tama.