What we learned from the first Iowa boys basketball games of 2024

Fresh off a short winter break, Iowa high school boys basketball teams returned to the court this week and provided plenty of exciting action.

Several of the top players in the state matched up against each other, and that resulted in two overtime thrillers. Some players, recovering from injuries, saw their first action of the season, and other athletes made an impression to start the year.

Here are five things we learned from the first games of 2024.

Stats and averages are based on what was inputted to GoBound as of Saturday, Jan. 6 at 9 a.m.

1. Mason Costello’s clutch game-winner looks like the shot of the year.

There are few things as impressive as hitting a game-winning, half-court shot as time expires in double overtime. But that is exactly what Waukee senior Mason Costello did on Friday to help the Warriors pull off an 82-81 win over Valley. Some high school basketball fans on social media debated whether it was possible for Costello to have gotten the shot off in half a second, but regardless of the timing, it was a highlight-reel shot.

More: WATCH: Incredible buzzer-beater shot gives Waukee boys a victory over Valley in 2 OTs

2. Welcome back to the court, Zay Robinson.

In the final seconds of that Waukee-Valley game, it looked like the Tigers would walk away with the win. That’s because Zay Robinson – making his season debut after a shoulder surgery sidelined him for football – hit the go-ahead shot with less than a second remaining in the second overtime period. His pull-up jumper gave Valley an 81-79 lead with 0.5 seconds left to play, a shot that typically would have sealed a victory if not for that crazy half-court shot by Costello.

3. Cedar Falls upsets Linn-Mar in another overtime thriller.

Friday was the night for thrilling overtime games featuring some of the top players in the state. Cedar Falls' Anthony Galvin and Cade Courbat faced off against Linn-Mar's Davis Kern and company. Both teams held double-digit leads at points during the game but needed extra time to decide a winner.

Despite a 31-point performance from Kern, Cedar Falls pulled off the 83-76 win. Galvin led the Tigers with 21 points; Courbat finished with nine points, including five in overtime, after sitting out much of the third quarter.

4. Charlie King emerges as a player to watch at Des Moines Roosevelt.

Roosevelt’s bench took control of the Roughriders’ matchup against Hoover, but freshman guard Charlie King stood out with his 15-point performance. His play was fast-paced, fearless and efficient, and King didn’t even play much of the second half. On a roster filled with upperclassmen, King shows promise in Roosevelt’s future.

More: Des Moines Roosevelt boys basketball's bench scores 46 in double-digit victory over Hoover

5. Fans and programs across the state show support for Perry.

A school shooting at Perry High School rocked the Dallas County community on Thursday, and the Bluejays’ athletic events in the days following were postponed. Basketball games were not at the forefront of Perry students’ minds, but the Bluejays were remembered at events around the state.

Des Moines Hoover held a moment of silence before its game against Roosevelt. Ames and Marshalltown basketball players wore blue warmups prior to their game. Valley’s student section wore blue instead of orange and black. And that is just a sample of the support shown by teams and fans across the state.

Alyssa Hertel is the college sports recruiting reporter for the Des Moines Register. Contact Alyssa at ahertel@dmreg.com or on Twitter @AlyssaHertel.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: What we learned from the first Iowa boys basketball games of 2024