With two games to go on the Little Hawkeye Conference basketball schedule, Dallas Center-Grimes is in position for a Mustang sweep after knocking off both Pella teams last night in the Tulip City. The class 4A #1 ranked DCG girls beat Pella 43-32, while the 3A #2 Mustang boys knocked off the 6th-ranked Dutch 61-57 in overtime. Both games were broadcast live on 92.1 KRLS.

After losing at DCG by 29 earlier in the season, the Pella girls were much more competitive last night. They trailed just 24-20 at halftime, and after a sluggish third quarter put them down 11, a pair of Anna Childerston three-pointers pulled the Dutch within five with five minutes to play. While DCG iced the game at the free throw line, Pella coach Blaine Forsythe says last night was another step in the right direction.

“It was probably close to 28 of our best minutes that we’ve played all year as far as on the defensive end. For a lot of big stretches we didn’t turn the ball over, but we did have a couple possessions in a row that were empty that ended up hurting us. Overall, I was really pleased with the effort the girls gave tonight.”

Childerston scored 11 to lead the Dutch, who fall to 11-8 and 6-6 in league play.

The boys game was a back and forth affair that needed extra time to decide a winner. Pella led by three at the end of the first quarter, DCG struck back to take a four point halftime lead, and Pella rallied to go up three at the end of the third.  Tied at 53 in the waning seconds, the Mustangs missed a shot that would have won it, but they took an early lead in overtime and held on against Derek Schulte’s Dutch.

“It was a tough outcome and a really high level game. Give DCG credit as they made just one or two more plays. They got it to overtime and once they got that lead they did a nice job of protecting it. We had opportunities, both teams did, to close it out, but unfortunately a few more went their way.

After being blanked in the first half, Karl Miller finished the game as Pella’s leading scorer with 15 points. Parker Elder added 10 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots for the Dutch, who drop to 12-6 and 8-4 in the conference.

Dallas Center-Grimes now has a one game lead over Indianola in both the girls and boys Little Hawkeye Conference races, and with home games against Norwalk and Newton, they’re favorites to close out both league championships.

Up next for Pella is a trip to Grinnell for a girl-boy doubleheader Tuesday night.