Photo courtesy of Troy L. Hugen Photography

The Pella Christian girls basketball team outlasted Urbandale in a defensive battle for a 39-33 victory heard live on the KRLS2 stream Tuesday night, earning the program’s first 4-1 start to a year since the 2017-2018 season.

The J-Hawks had the upperhand early, knocking down a pair of three-pointers to take an 8-2 lead midway through the first quarter, but the Eagles closed the period on a 6-0 run to tie the game at 8. Offense remained hard to come by in the second quarter, with the two teams combining for just 12 points, but Ava Breems’ layup with just 25 seconds left in the first half sent the game into the break tied at 14. Out of halftime, Urbandale went on a 4-0 run in the first two minutes of the third quarter, but Pella Christian answered with a 6-0 run in the next three minutes to grab their first lead at 20-18 with 3:55 left in the period. The Eagles finished the third quarter with a 23-20 lead, before the offenses started to get into rhythm. 

In the fourth quarter, the J-Hawks retook the lead with a 6-0 burst in the first three minutes, and Pella Christian answered with a 6-3 run to even the score at 29-29 with 2:27 remaining in the game. The two teams traded the next four baskets to find themselves in a 33-33 tie with 1:18 left to play, but a 6-0 closing run from Rachel Kacmarynski and Jessa De Vries lifted the Eagles to their first 4-1 start in eight years. Breems led the offense for Pella Christian, going a perfect 5-5 from the field to score 10 points. Kacmarynski posted her fourth double-double of the season in the victory, recording 10 points and 14 rebounds. Addie Van Arendonk added eight points and 13 rebounds, while De Vries went 4-4 at the free throw line en route to seven points. 

A busy week for the Eagles girls basketball team continues on Thursday, as they host Van Meter in a 7:15 pm game that can be heard live on 92.1 KRLS and viewed live on the Pella Christian YouTube Channel.