Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The Matchups

No. 1 Cascade (25-0) vs. Denver (17-8)

One of the most success programs in the state over the past several years Cascade is making its fourth consecutive state tournament appearance and seventh trip in the last eight years.

Cascade is 96-8 over the past four seasons, reaching the 2A semifinals three consecutive seasons and winning a state title in 2018.

The Cougars haven’t had a game decided by fewer than 11 points and their 25 wins have come by an of 31.2 points per game the eighth largest averaging margin of victory in the state. 

The 25-0 record features double digit wins over 2A qualifiers North Linn and West Branch and an 11-point win over Regina in the regional final.

Senior point guard Nicole McDermott leads a trio of Cascade players averaging in double figures with 16.3 points per game and is joined in the lineup by double digit scoring seniors Skylar Dolphin (12.1) and Abby Welter (10.5).

In its first trip to the state tournament since 2009 Denver gets a rematch with the last team it faced in a state tournament game.

Denver fell to Cascade 49-34 in a 2A quarterfinal in 2009 as the Cougars went on to a runner-up finish that season.

The Cyclones lost four straight games to open the season but finished with a flurry, winning seven of eight including a 49-31 win over defending state champion Grundy Center in the regional final.   

Denver is led by its young back court of sophomore Reese Johnson (10.4 points per game) and freshman Grace Hennessy (10 points per game).

No. 5 Osage (22-2) vs. No. 6 West Branch (21-3)

West Branch returns to the state tournament for the third time and first since 2016 seeking to make history with the first state tournament win in program history.

The Bears bring an eight-game winning streak into the state tournament and have won 17 of their last 18 games dating back to December.

Two of the three losses for West Branch came to 2A qualifiers Cascade and West Hancock before Christmas.

West Branch has built on its reputation as one of the top defensive teams in Class 2A this season ranking third in the class in points allowed at 32.2 and has been especially locked in on defense in the postseason.

The Bears have allowed an average of 26 points per game in three regional wins holding ninth-ranked Van Buren to 38 points in a 20-point regional final win.

Junior point guard Sasha Koenig is the lone double digit scorer for West Branch at 15.7 points per game but four other players average between 5.3 and 8.8 points per game.

Juniors Rylan Druecker and Taya Young average 8.8 and 8.1 per game and senior Taylor Thein averages 8.5 points per game.

Osage is also making its first appearance at the state tournament since 2016 and seeking a history win.

The Green Devils have never won a game at the five-player state tournament, their last win at state coming in a six-player contest in 1993.

Like West Branch, Osage has also been tested this season with its losses coming to 3A top-ranked Dike-New Hartford and 1A qualifier Saint Ansgar.

Osage also has an eight-game winning streak after a 67-60 win over No. 14 Emmetsburg in regional final.

Sidney Brandau leads a trio of Osage players in scoring with 17.7 points per game while Dani Johnson adds 14.5 and Ellie Bobinet, a 47 percent 3-point shooter, is scoring 10.3 points per game.

No. 2 West Hancock (24-1) vs. No. 12 Logan-Magnolia (21-3)

The defending Class 1A runner-up West Hancock hasn’t skipped a beat in its jump up to Class 2A this season.

The Eagles have won 49 of 52 games since the start of last season and returned to the state tournament with a 67-28 regional final win over No. 15 Panorama.

West Hancock is a point away from entering the state tournament unbeaten, falling to 1A fourth-ranked Algona Garrigan 55-54 in its regular season finale.

The Eagles featured the top scorer in the 2A field in 5-foot-7 junior Rachel Leerar who averages 20 points per game and the top rebounding among 2A qualifiers in 6-foot senior Amanda Chizek who averages 11.2 rebounds per contest.

Logan-Magnolia is searching for its first ever state tournament win in its second trip to the state.

The Panthers fell to Regina in the opening-round in its first ever trip to the state tournament in 2017.

Logan-Magnolia avenged a regular season loss with a 36-35 win over No. 13 AHSTW in the regional final.

Senior guard Kylie Morrison is the key for Logan-Magnolia leading the Panthers in scoring (16.1), rebounds (8.1), assists (4.3) and steals (2.3).

No. 3 North Linn (21-2) vs. No. 8 Western Christian (17-7)

A couple of recent regulars at the state tournament hook up in the opening round in a rematch of a thrilling 2015 semifinal won by North Linn 73-71 in overtime.

North Linn is making its third state tournament appearance in the past four seasons but hasn’t made it out of the first round since 2015 when it beat Western Christian in the semifinals on its way to a runner-up finish.

The Lynx lost their regular season finale to top-ranked Cascade 63-40 but rebounded to win three regional games by an average of better than 41 points.

North Linn is led by seniors Grace and Abby Flanagan who combine to average 28.5 points per game.

Grace Flanagan is the top scorer for the Lynx at 18.3 points per game while Abby Flanagan averages 10.2 points per game and is shooting 42 percent from 3-point range.

Junior Ellie Ware averages 11.4 points and a team-high 6.7 rebounds per game.

Western Christian returns to the state tournament for the first time since winning its fourth state title in a span of six seasons in 2017.

The Wolfpack was upset in a regional final in 2018 and went 10-12 last season but returned to the state tournament this season with a 60-52 regional final win over Central Lyon.

Don’t be fooled by the seven losses, two have come to out of state opponents, two others to state qualifiers from larger classes and another to 1A top-ranked Newell-Fonda in the season opener.

Five players average at least 7.4 points per game for the Wolfpack led by senior Olivia Granstra with 13 points per game.

Senior Abby Postman averages 10.2 points per game and 6-foot-1 junior Macay Vant Hul adds 7.7 points and a team-high 8.3 rebounds per game.

The Players

CASCADE: Nicole McDermott, 5-6, Sr. A four-year starter at point guard McDermott makes it all go for the Cascade leading the Cougars in scoring (15.9), rebounds (5.8), assists (4.1) and steals (3.4).

DENVER: Reese Johnson, 5-8, Soph., Johnson leads the Cyclones in scoring (10.4), rebounding (6) and steals (2.6) and ranks second in assists (1.8).

OSAGE: Sidney Brandau, 6-0, Sr., Brandau does a little bit of everything for the Green Devils averaging 17.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 2.2 steals and 2 blocked shots per game.

WEST BRANCH: Sasha Koenig, 5-5, Jr., Bradley commit averages a team-high 15.7 points and leads Class 2A with 5.5 assists per game to go with 3.6 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game.

WEST HANCOCK: Amanda Chizek, 6-0, Sr., Senior center ranks fifth in 2A in rebounding with 11.2 per game and fourth in blocked shots with 68 while averaging 12 points on 57 percent shooting.

LOGAN-MAGNOLIA: Kylie Morrison, 5-7, Sr., The Panther senior averages a team-high 16.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game.

NORTH LINN: Grace Flanagan, 5-8, Sr., A 48 percent 3-point shooter, Flanagan leads the Lynx in scoring at 18.3 points per game and ranks second in 2A with 73 3-pointers.

WESTERN CHRISTIAN: Olivia Granstra, 5-8, Sr., Granstra leads the Wolfpack with 13 points and 3.5 assists per game and adds 4.9 rebounds per contest.

The Favorite 

Cascade was the preseason favorite in Class 2A, opening the season ranked in the top spot and is three wins away from going wire-to-wire as the number one team.

The top-seeded Cougars have certainly earned their status as the favorite in the 2A field.

Cascade hasn’t had a game decided by less than 11 points, has an average margin of victory of better than 31 and owns wins over third-ranked North Linn and sixth-ranked West Branch.

The Underdog

Eighth-seeded Denver has picked the right time to play its best basketball of the season.

The Cyclones started the season 0-4 but have won seven of eight entering the state tournament, avenging their only loss during that stretch with a regional semifinal win over Aplington-Parkersburg.

The Darkhorse

For most of the season West Branch has hovered from sixth to eighth in the Class 2A rankings while largely flying under the radar as a legit 2A title contender.

That’s fine with the Bears but this group has everything it takes to make a serious run at a state title.

West Branch has the depth, size and balance it takes to have success at the state tournament and has measured itself against two of the favorites in the 2A field.

The Bears held late leads in regular season losses to top-seeded Cascade and No. 2 West Hancock showing the ability to play with the best in 2A.

The Focus

Can anyone crack Cascade?

The Cougars enter the season number one and have been most untested while reeling off 25 consecutive wins.

There are potential potholes on the road to a second state title in three seasons for the Cougars.

West Branch led Cascade entering the fourth quarter of a regular season meeting in December and defending 1A runner-up West Hancock could be waiting in the title game.

However, entering play on Tuesday everyone in 2A is chasing Cascade.

Five Fast Facts

* – West Hancock junior Rachel Leerar is one of only three players in the state averaging 20 points per game with more than 100 assists.

* – West Branch head Coach Jarod Tylee won his 150th career game with a 58-38 win over Van Buren in the regional final last week.

* – West Branch is holding teams to 30 percent shooting from the field and 28.3 points per game during its current eight-game winning streak.

* – Logan-Magnolia ranks third in the state in team free throw percentage, shooting 74.4 as a team from the line.

* – Cascade senior Jordan Simon is one of only two players in the state to have more than 70 blocks and 80 assists on the season. The 5-foot-10 Simon has 78 blocks and 80 assists with just 40 turnovers.

The Schedule

Tuesday’s Quarterfinals

Cascade (25-0) vs. Denver (17-8) 6:45 p.m.

Osage (22-2) vs. West Branch (21-3) 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday’s Quarterfinals

West Hancock (24-1) vs. Logan-Magnolia (21-3), 10 a.m.

North Linn (21-2) vs. Western Christian (17-7), 11:45 a.m.

Friday’s Semifinals

Cascade/Denver winner vs. Osage/West Branch winner, 10 a.m.

West Hancock/Logan-Magnolia winner vs. North Linn/Western Christian winner, 11:45 a.m.

Saturday’s Championship

Semifinal winners, 5 p.m.

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