LEON — Central Decatur’s girls basketball team chalked one of their main goals off this season with a perfect run through the Pride of Iowa Conference.
The Class 2A third-ranked Cardinals achieved another with a perfect run through the Region 8 tournament.
They turn their sights to the final goal for the season Tuesday when they open Class 2A state tournament action against Cascade. Tip is set for 10 a.m. at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
With three more wins, the Cardinals will be state champions.
Cardinals coach Curtis Boothe noted his team is ready for Tuesday’s challenge.
“We’ve had a good week of practice,” Boothe said. “We’re ready for the opportunity to play at Wells Fargo.”
Last season’s trip there has boosted the Cardinals spirits heading into Tuesday’s game.
“Just the experience of playing up there, knowing the surroundings, what we’re getting ourselves into,” Boothe said. “The varsity experience we brought back, only graduating one, with Emma (Atwood) and Alli (Masters) stepping up, they’re ready for the next step to be taken.”
The Cardinals survived a solid Pride of Iowa slate 16-0.
The tests against teams such as Mount Ayr, Interstate 35 and Nodaway Valley prepared Central Decatur well for this week.
“You hope for perfection all along,” Boothe said. “That’s very difficult, especially with our conference. To win out was our first goal. We’re pleased with that, with Mount Ayr, 35, Nodaway Valley — they’re big competitors. To go through the season undefeated, through the regional draw going southeast and playing teams we’d never seen before, we’re pretty pleased with that.”
Cascade, 22-2, which blitzed through the Region 6 tournament, plays a solid zone defense that has given other teams fits. The eighth-ranked Cougars come in allowing 36.4 points per game.
“They have a really good defensive team,” Boothe said. “They put a lot of pressure on the guards. They hound the ball.”
The Cardinals will test that with an offense that leads Class 2A in scoring, averaging 71.8 points per game.
“We will have to do a good job spacing and passing to get to the point where we can shoot it against their zone defense,” Boothe said. “We have the ability to do that.”
Central Decatur’s offense is loaded with shooters, with five averaging in double figures and four averaging over 35 percent from three-point range. Atwood leads the Cardinals with 18.7 points per game and has made 40 percent of her three-point baskets. Masters is averaging 14.3 points per game, with Raegan Boothe scoring 13.2 points a contest and Lily Simon averaging 10.5 points per game.
“We have five girls that can shoot it and spread the floor,” coach Boothe said. “With what they’re trying to give us, we’ll get the looks we want.”