Boys District Basketball Results Saturday, February 25th
Kuemper Vs Sioux Central At Ida Grove- Class 2A SubState 2
Kuemper 69
Sioux Central 67
Kuemper won the matchup of two teams that easily could have met up in Des Moines as the Knights held on for a hard fought 2-point win. They advance to the State Tournament for the first time since 2018. Opening with Roland Story on Tuesday, March 7th at 10:30. Kuemper is the 7th seed, entering State at 18-6.
Kuemper started quickly, never trailing in the 1st half but trailed three times in the 2nd half, never by more than 2-points. The Knights found a way to answer Sioux Central all game, getting big shots from Carson Kanne, Dawson Gifford, Brock Badding and Carter Putney. The Knights led by as many as 10 in the 1st half, but were only up 2 at half. The game changed leads six times with Kuemper grabbing the lead for the last time at 59-56. There were 9 ties with the last tie at 56.
Carson Kanne was huge early for the Knights, attacking the rim, using the rim to protect his shot, making three reverse layups. His first basket put Kuemper up 2-0, but Sioux Central answered to tie the game at 2. Kanne scored again, then Carter Putney nailed a three and Kuemper led 7-2. The Rebels pulled within 1 but Kanne extended the lead to 9-6. After a Sioux Central basket made it 9-8, Dawson Gifford drained one of the Knights three-threes in the 1st half. Taye Vonnahme followed the Gifford three with a pair of free throws and Carson Kanne scored in the paint again and Kuemper led 16-8. Sioux Central battled back with 4 straight points but Tregan Beiter scored on a put back and Kuemper led 18-12 at the end of the 1st quarter. Michael Kasperbauer and Carson Kanne scored for the Knights to start the 2nd quarter, putting the Knights up 22-12 (that would be their largest lead). Sioux Central cut it to 5 before DJ Vonnahme put Kuemper up 25-17. Kuemper maintained a 3-6 point lead most of the rest of the quarter. Michael Kasperbauer hit a free throw, making it 31-27 but Sioux Central got a pair of free throws from Carter Boettcher, pulling the Rebels within 2. That was the closest they had been since trailed 9-8. A Tregan Beieter bucket put Kuemper up 4 but Sioux Central hit a late pair of free throws and Kuemper led 33-31 at half.
The late 2nd quarter run by Sioux Central moved into the 3rd quarter as they tied the game at 33 immediately. Michael Kasperbauer kept Kuemper up 2 but the Rebels tied the game at 35, then took their first lead on a basket by Carter Boettcher. The 37-35 lead was short lived as Carter Putney scored on an offensive rebound and Kuemper tied the game at 37. Dawson Gifford put Kuemper up 39-37, then Brock Badding scored to keep the Knights up 2. The Rebels tied the game at 39 and 41 but Kuemper stayed on top with a pair of free throws from Dawson Gifford. Sioux Central tied the game again at 43. A pair of Carson Kanne free throws and a Dawson Gifford three, put Kuemper up 48-43. The Knights led 50-49 heading to the 4th quarter. Sioux Central took their second lead to start the 4th at 51-50 but Kuemper responded with Dawson Gifford scoring a bucket and a free throw. Sioux Central took the lead at 54-53 but Gifford tied the game at 54. Sioux Central went back up 56-54 but DJ Vonnahme tied the game at 56. Brock Badding made a huge blocked shot and grabbed the rebound, then drained a three from the left corner, putting Kuemper up for good at 59-56. Sioux Central pulled within 59-58 but Brock Badding hit his second three of the half and Kuemper led 63-58. Carson Kanne took over from the free throw line down the stretch keeping Kuemper up by two possessions. The Knights got a big play with 6:05 left in the 4th quarter as Dawson Gifford drove to the basket and picked up the 5th foul on Carter Boettcher. That foul allowed the Knights to switch defenses, holding Jacob Hargens to 7-points the rest of the game, keeping him from penetrating downhill. Hargens had 24 points prior to that. Gifford’s ability to get to the rim caused three of Boettcher’s fouls. Kuemper kept the Rebels in the game late, with 4 fouls in the final minute, stopping the clock and letting them score from the free throw line. Two of those fouls were 80-feet from the basket. Dawson Gifford hit a pair of free throws, putting the Knights up by 5, sealing the game as Sioux Central hit a three from halfcourt at the buzzer. The Knights won 69-67.
Carson Kanne led the Knights with 18 points, adding 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Kanne went 8-8 from the free throw line. Dawson Gifford finished with 17 points, going 7-11 from the free throw line. Kanne and Gifford were a combined 15-19 from the line while the rest of the team was 4-10. Brock Badding added 10 points and DJ Vonnahme had team highs, 7 rebounds and 4 steals. The Knights shot 22-51 from the field, going 6-20 from three. Sioux Central went 23-52 from the field but went 16-21 from the free throw line.
The Kuemper Vs Roland Story game will be broadcast on KIKD 106.7.
Kuemper Stats
Michael Kasperbauer 6 Points, 2 Assists, Steal
Carson Kanne 18 Points, 6 Rebounds, 3 Assists, Steal, Block
DJ Vonnhame 5 Points, 7 Rebounds, 3 Assists, 4 Steals, Block
Dawson Gifford 17 Points, 2 Rebounds, 2 Assists, 2 Steals
Brock Badding 10 Points, Rebound, Block
Carter Putney 5 Points, 5 Rebounds, Steal
Taye Vonnahme 2 Points, 2 Rebounds, 2 Assists
Tregan Beiter 6 Points, Rebound, Assist
Evan Adams 1 Rebound
Teams 1 2 3 4 Final
Kuemper 18 15 17 19 69
Sioux Central 12 19 16 18 67
