Your Prep Sports

It is often said it’s hard to beat a good team three times.

Someone forgot to tell that to West Branch.

West Branch defeated Tipton for the third time this season on Tuesday downing the Tigers 69-56 in the Class 2A, District 8 title game at West Liberty.

The win was the 12th straight for West Branch (18-5) and sends the Bears into Saturday’s Substate 4 championship where they will face sixth-ranked Camanche at 7 p.m. at Muscatine.

West Branch had three players score in double figures on Tuesday as it earned its third double-digit win of the season over Tipton (13-10).

The Tigers advanced to the District 8 title game with a 78-66 win over top-seeded West Burlington.

West Branch led by four after the opening quarter on Tuesday but took control of the game with a 24-point second quarter.

Ben Thompson led West Branch with 20 points on 6-of-7 field goal shooting while Beau Cornwell added 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting.

Cooper Kabela added 15 points as West Branch shot 59 percent from the floor.

Kabela had eight rebounds and three assists while Cornwell grabbed nine rebounds and had four assists.

Thompson added four assists to go with his team-high 20 points.

Freshman Tanner Lukavsky had nine points and six rebounds for West Branch.

The third win over the season over River Valley Conference rival Tipton sets West Branch up with another RVC rematch.

Camanche (21-2) advanced to the Substate 4 championship game with a 51-42 win over Northeast in the District 7 title game on Tuesday.

The Indians won the first meeting with West Branch 78-67 on December 19.

West Branch 19  24  9  17 – 69

Tipton             15  12  7  22 – 56

West Branch (69) – Ben Thompson 20, Beau Cornwell 18, Cooper Kabela 15, Tanner Lukavsky 9, Ted Bridges 4, Brett Schiele 3.