Warren County’s Little Hawkeye Conference basketball teams met up in Norwalk Friday evening in the conference finale for both teams. It was Indianola picking up the sweep, with a 53-47 win in the girls game, and the winning 81-71, as aired on 94.3 KNIA.

It was a strong start to the game for the Indians, as they built up an 18-10 lead after one. Norwalk clawed their way back to get within four points at the halftime break, and took the lead a few times in the third quarter. But a strong defensive quarter for the Indians ended up sealing the game, as Norwalk was held to just five points in the fourth quarter. Indianola Coach Jeff Janssen says his team put together a much better performance this time around than the previous matchup in January.

Mara Bishop led the Indians with 17 points, while Norwalk’s Jocelyn Bice led all scorers with 18. Norwalk’s regular season ends at 11-10 overall and 8-6 in conference play. They’ll be back in action in the Class 4A postseason Wednesday at home against Des Moines Hoover. Indianola finishes 17-4 overall and 12-2 in conference play, and will take on Des Moines Lincoln in the postseason.

In the boys game, Indianola raced out to an early lead, and led by as many as nine in the first quarter. But Norwalk freshman Redek Born almost single handedly brought the Warriors back to life, scoring 16 points in the 1st quarter, and Norwalk trailed 20-18 after one. The teams largely traded buckets in the second quarter, but Indianola held a 36-33 halftime lead. Norwalk would hang close but never take the lead in the third, and the game ended with Indian free throws icing it away. Norwalk Coach Chris Larson says his team came up just short against a quality opponent.

Cole Tunender led the Warriors with 24 points while Redek Born added 21. Indianola was led by Cooper Nailor’s 24 points. CJ Kuehl scored 19, Casey Glascock added 14, while Drew Kingery chipped in 11. Norwalk moves to 12-7 overall and finishes 8-6 in conference play. They’ll be back in action Monday at Marshalltown. Indianola moves to 14-6 and finishes 9-5 in the conference. They’ll return to action Tuesday at Urbandale.