Both Norwalk basketball teams will be in conference action as they host Pella for a doubleheader that can be heard live on the KNIA3 stream this evening, with the first game scheduled for 5 p.m. due to weather conditions. The winner of the boys’ game will take first place in the Little Hawkeye Conference.

The #3 in 4A and conference-leading Norwalk girls basketball team is currently 12-1 overall and 6-0 in conference, most recently defeating Ames on Tuesday. The Warriors have not lost since their matchup against Maquoketa on December 20th. The Warriors are led by sophomore Braylyn Birmingham (30.2 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 3.6 APG, & 3 SPG), who had 13 points in the Ames win, her lowest total of the season. She is currently second in Iowa in scoring behind Izzy Eisbach of Class 2A’s Nodaway Valley. Senior Pearl Brown led Norwalk in scoring against Ames with 17 points. The 7-6 Pella girls are 3-3 in Little Hawkeye Conference play thus far and sit in fourth place, and are led in scoring by junior Emma Walkup (11.2 PPG). The Dutch are coming off a 56-47 loss to Des Moines Christian on Tuesday. Most recently, Norwalk defeated Pella 65-46 on December 5th. Norwalk senior Ava Carlson has missed the last two weeks of play with a right hamstring injury. She had 12 points in Norwalk’s previous win over Pella.

The Norwalk boys are 9-3 overall and 5-1 in conference, after ending their nine-game win streak in Ames on Tuesday, losing 67-61 to Class 4A’s #6 team. The Warriors are led by junior Tillman Papcun (22.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, & 1.8 SPG), who had 33 points in Tuesday’s Ames loss. Papcun leads the Little Hawkeye Conference in points per game. 11-2 overall, the #5 in 3A Pella boys are also 5-1 in conference, but currently hold the tiebreaker as they defeated Norwalk 65-49 in their second game of the season. The Dutch are coming off an 80-67 win over Des Moines Christian on Tuesday. They are led by senior Austin Schulte’s 18.2 points per game. Norwalk Head Coach Aaron Pelzer tells KNIA Sports he feels his team has improved for tonight’s important matchup.

“Whoever wins that’s kind of in the driver’s seat, so it’s obviously a huge game. I know both teams will be ready to play. I just feel pretty confident we are a completely different basketball team than we were in game two, not only from an execution standpoint but from an ‘understanding what it takes to win varsity basketball games’ standpoint.”

Pella is the third of three consecutive ranked opponents for the Warrior boys, having defeated #10 in 3A Oskaloosa last Friday and falling to Ames on Tuesday. 

The broadcast will be called by Mike Oeffner and former Norwalk boys basketball coach Chris Larson and can be heard live at kniakrls.com KNIA3. Coverage begins at 4:45 p.m. with the girls’ game and will be played in Norwalk’s NPECC.