North Polk girls basketball takes down Dallas Center-Grimes in state quarterfinals
North Polk was not going to be denied its revenge.
The 5-seed Comets outscored No. 4 Dallas Center-Grimes 24-10 down the stretch to pull off a 48-42 victory during the Iowa girls state basketball tournament quarterfinals on Tuesday at Wells Fargo Arena.
The Comets advanced to Thursday's semifinals to face No. 1 Clear Creek-Amana. They also avenged a 57-50 overtime loss to DCG in last year's state title game.
"Last year, losing to them in that state championship game, we definitely had that chip on our shoulder," said North Polk junior point guard and UNI commit Abby Tuttle. "We wanted to come out there and get redemption."
Here is what we learned from an exciting 4A state quarterfinal rivalry battle.
Abby Tuttle and Becca Aagard spark NP down the stretch
North Polk's big run was sparked by the play of Tuttle and 6-foot-3 center Becca Aagard, along with a clutch 3-pointer from Kaylee Koudelka.
Tuttle started the spurt with a pair of baskets and then Aagard converted on consecutive put-backs to tie the score at 32-32.
"We work on it all the time during practice, doing the Mikan drill," said Aagard of her two timely offensive rebounds. "In practice, we work on rebounding, and we were all going for it. It was everything we needed."
Campbell Schulz put North Polk ahead on a drive to the basket. DCG eventually moved back in front, 38-37, on a 3-pointer from Vanessa Bickford with 4:28 left. But Koudelka countered with a huge 3-pointer to spark an 11-4 Comet run to end the game.
"I thought we did a great job responding to them," Tuttle said. "They had a really good first half. We came back, battled hard and won the game."
Tuttle finished with 13 points plus two assists and blocks apiece. Aagard had 13 points, nine rebounds and three blocks.
Schulz chipped in 11 points and four rebounds for the Comets.
For the game, North Polk shot 47% from the field, hit 2-of-8 3-pointers and 12-of-19 free throws. The Comets held DCG to 33% shooting and just six attempts from the foul line, while also holding a slim 28-27 rebounding advantage and forcing 13 turnovers.
DCG hung around by hitting nine 3-pointers.
DCG has another fantastic run
DCG ended the season with a 20-4 record.
In addition to beating North Polk in last year's title game, the Mustangs also handed the Comets a 55-44 defeat in November.
DCG led 29-24 at the half on Tuesday. They just could not get enough outside shots to fall over the final two quarters.
"We played a great first half, they played a great second half," said DCG senior forward Josie Lampe. "We're both great teams and we gave it our best."
Lampe finished with 10 points after making 3-of-5 shots from beyond the arc and she also pulled down seven rebounds. Bickford led DCG with 12 points and she added six rebounds and five assists.
Kayla Reis chipped in eight points for the Mustangs, who made their fourth-straight trip to the state tournament.
"We believed in ourselves," Lampe said. "That's what mattered. I'm proud of my team and I love every one of them."
Comets ready for rematch with No. 1 Clear Creek-Amana
North Polk takes a 23-2 record into a semifinal matchup against undefeated Clear Creek-Amana (24-0).
The Comets were the last team to defeat the Clippers, clobbering them during last year's state quarterfinals, 61-30. They know CCA will be out for revenge when the two teams face off in the semifinals on Thursday at 5 p.m.
"We're going to bring it like we did last year," Aagard said. "We're just going to battle for every board and every possession, and just get it. I'm so ready."
Joe Randleman covers high school sports for the Ames Tribune. Contact him at jrandleman@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @JoeRandleman
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: North Polk rallies past DCG in Iowa girls state basketball quarterfinals
