In the opening high school basketball broadcast of 2016-17 on KNIA/KRLS, Pella Christian’s girls kept their perfect start to the season alive with a 53-39 victory over ADM last night.

The home opener for the Eagles featured eight three-pointers by PC shooters, overcoming 27 turnovers to the Tigers’ 25. Head Coach Kevin Van Maanen says despite some uneven play, the team remained poised down the stretch to clinch their third win.

“I think it started at some team camps we went to over the summer, learning how to finish out some games,” he says, which Van Maanen adds was a key factor in their first two wins as well.

Four of the eight shots from downtown came from Brooke Mitrisin, who led the team with 17 points. Kaley Wilson had three deep bombs of her own for 11 points and snagged five steals, and Isabella Baugh racked up nine points, nine rebounds, and five blocked shots.

Pella Christian is now 3-0, and hosts Oskaloosa Friday to open the conference season, where they will be joined in a doubleheader by a boys’ team that’s poised to begin a potentially special season tonight.

The Eagles boys, coming off of back-to-back 3rd place finishes in the state tournament and with a wealth of returning talent, will take on ADM to kick off their 2016-17 campaign.

Head Coach Larry Hessing says the deep, experienced group–led by preseason all-Iowa point guard Levi Jungling, will look to hit the ground running against a Tigers team they beat 60-59 in the opener last year.

“They have their three top guys back, they’re a very perimeter-oriented team,” he says.

The Eagles’ season opener against ADM begins at 7:30 with pregame coverage and opening tip scheduled at 7:45 on 92.1 KRLS, with Andrew Schneider and Wynne Veenstra returning for the play-by-play.

Tags: , ,