LAMONI — Mount Ayr used a key stretch in the second half to overtake Lamoni and win Tuesday’s Class 1A District 12 semifinal game, 44-40.
The Raiders (16-7) advance to a district final scheduled Thursday at Truro against eighth-ranked Murray (22-1). Lamoni ends its season at 20-3, with only two losses to Murray before Tuesday night.
At the three-minute mark of the third quarter, Lamoni was ahead 30-23 after leading at the end of the first two periods, 7-6 and 22-18.
Then, the Demons did not score again until four minutes were left in the game. By then, Mount Ayr’s 10-0 run had put the Raiders in front, 33-30.
Jeremy Deemer, Lamoni’s 6-6 junior averaging 28 points, was limited to 11 points while gathering 17 rebounds.
“We went to a matchup zone on Deemer at the high post,” Mount Ayr coach Bret Ruggles said. “We were fronting him and pinching as much as we could. Another big key for us was in the first game Jackson Carr had 25 for them. Tonight he had eight. Braydee Poore locked him down.”
With Jacob Sobotka back in the Raider lineup recovered from a football ankle injury, the athletic Poore can use his height at the top of the Raider zone defense to close out on shooters, Ruggles noted.
The Raiders were tough down the stretch. The game was tied 36-36 with three minutes left. Carr hit a free throw to put Lamoni ahead by one, but Poore answered at the line with one make. Poore’s basket lifted the Raiders in front, 39-37, and a free throw made it 40-37.
The Raiders were able to build a four-point lead (44-40) when Lamoni took possesion with only :01 left, unable to tie as the Raider defense laid off to prevent a foul call.
Murray beat the Raiders 64-50 in the first game of the season. Ruggles said his team has improved, and is aided by the return of Sobotka inside.
“I like our matchup with Murray,” Ruggles said. “Murray vs. Mount Ayr in a district final, there have been some wild ones. It should be fun.”
LAMONI (40) — Jeremy Deemer 3 5-9 11, Tim Brunner 4 0-0 10, Jackson Carr 3 1-2 8, Daniel Ansong 2 0-0 4, Caleb Heltenberg 2 0-4 4, Beau Bjorland 1 0-0 3. Totals — 15 6-11 40. 3-point goals — 4-16 (Brunner 2, Bjorland 1, Carr 1). FG shooting — 15-47 (31.9 percent). Rebounds — 34 (Deemer 17). Assists — 8 (Heltenberg 3). Steals — 6 (Ansong 3). Team fouls — 20. Fouled out — Brunner, Heltenberg.
MOUNT AYR (44) — Jake Still 6 3-4 17, Braydee Poore 5 4-5 16, Jake Sobotka 0 4-8 4, Dylan Doman 1 1-3 3, John Triggs 0 2-3 2, Jack Jones 1 0-0 2. Totals — 13 14-23 44. 3-point goals — 4-13 (Poore 2, Still 2). FG shooting — 13-34 (38.2 percent). Rebounds — 32 (Still 9, Triggs 7, Poore 6, Sobotka 5). Assists — 7 (Poore 4). Steals — 8 (Still 3). Blocked shots — 3 (Still 2). Team fouls — 15. Fouled out — Triggs 5.
Lamoni — 7 22 30 40
Mount Ayr — 6 x18 28 44