ON TO STATE!! Lady basketball Hawks soar higher than sixth-rated Eagles, 46-39 in OT, for second-ever State Tournament qualification
Overtime leads to second time at season grand finale ... Members of the ninth-rated Kee girls basketball team display their State Qualifying Banners after pulling out the 46-39 overtime victory evident on the scoreboard in the photo background in their Class 1A Region 2 championship game with sixth-rated West Hancock Wednesday, February 21 at New Hampton. In their second time qualifying for the season grand finale, including their second time in the last three seasons, the Hawks will now play fourth-rated Newell-Fonda Wednesday, February 28 in the Class 1A State Tournament quarterfinals. Left to right - Front row: Elena Rolfs, Annabelle Dibert, Kristina Dibert, Makayla Peters, Katie Brennan, Ashlyn Seitz, Laura Colsch. Back row: Head Coach Lisa Steckel, Nicki Wood, Heather Mooney, Kendra Cooper, Chloe Severson, Ashley Schwartzhoff, Makayla Walleser, Meredith Gruber, Assistant Coach Chad Steckel. View and find out how to purchase this photo and many more by clicking on the Photo Galleries link on this website.
“Relax, we got this.”
That’s what first-year Kee girls basketball head coach Lisa Steckel said her players told her as they broke their huddle heading into the overtime period of their Class 1A Region 2 championship game played Wednesday, February 21 at New Hampton against sixth-rated West Hancock. No report as to whether the first-year coach relaxed or not, but her players certainly lived up to their promise as they went and “got” a 7-0 shut-out in that extra frame to post a 46-39 triumph and the program’s second State Tournament qualification in the last three seasons - and ever.
Kee girls basketball team to open State Tournament play Wednesday against undefeated Newell-Fonda
The ninth-rated Kee girls basketball team (22-1) has played its way to the Class 1A State Tournament for just the second time in program history, making the most of its fourth consecutive Class 1A regional finals appearance with a 46-39 overtime triumph over sixth-rated West Hancock Wednesday, February 21 in a game played at New Hampton High School. This season’s State Tournament berth follows a first-ever Hawk qualification for the season grand finale in 2016 that was ended right away in the opening round of play by a State Tournament experienced Burlington-Notre Dame team.
The Lady Hawks will play their first State Tournament game Wednesday, February 28 as the number-six seed in a 5 p.m. quarterfinal match-up with third-seeded Newell-Fonda (24-0). The Class 1A fourth-rated Mustangs are making their 13th trip to the season grand finale, which includes its eighth appearance in the last 11 seasons and four in a row from 2013-2016, during which they won the 2015 Class 1A State Tournament title.
The winner of that first-round match-up will advance to a Friday, March 2 semifinals contest at 3:15 p.m. against the first-round winner of a game between second-rated Central Decatur (24-0) and 10th-rated Montezuma (20-3). The semifinals winner will then advance on to play for the Class 1A State Tournament championship Saturday, March 3 at 7 p.m. That championship opponent will emerge from the other two Class 1A first-round match-ups featuring seventh-rated Exira/Elk Horn-Kimballton (23-1) vs. eighth-rated AGWSR (21-2) and 15th-rated Algona-Bishop Garrigan (17-7) vs. top-rated Springville (21-3), who will be seeking its third consecutive Class 1A State Championship and its fourth consecutive Class 1A State Championship game appearance.
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