Basketball at the break: River Valley Conference

The River Valley Conference is up for grabs in the South division. The league has seen a handful of close games at the top, and Mid-Prairie has been right in the thick of things in both races.

In the boys’ race, the Golden Hawks lead the pack. Mid-Prairie is 7-0 through December, and they hold a 6-0 record in the River Valley South, tops in the division.

The Golden Hawk boys have had a couple of close calls against North Division teams. Mid-Prairie battled for a 54-42 win at Cascade and it was pushed into overtime by Northeast, before prevailing 60-55.

The only other unbeaten team in the River Valley South is Wilton, and it just so happens the 7-1 Beavers are next up on the Golden Hawks’ schedule. Mid-Prairie will host Wilton on Tuesday night.

Tuesday night’s game will feature the two top scorers in the South Division. Wilton’s Caden Kirkman scores 19.6 points per game, and Mid-Prairie’s Carter Harmsen is close behind, with 19.3 points per game.

Mid-Prairie’s Jackson Pennington is second in the South with 4.3 assists per game. Harmsen’s 7.7 rebounds per game rank second, as do Pennington’s 2.9 steals per game.

On the girls’ side, the Golden Hawks have seen their ups and downs. The Golden Hawks have played seven games, all in conference play, and have went 4-3. That’s good enough for fifth place in the South.

Much like the boys’ team, the girls’ team also had a close game against Northeast. In their final game of December, the Golden Hawks squeaked out a 56-51 victory.

Maddie Nonnenmann is the third leading scorer in the River Valley South with 15.3 points per game. She is also fifth in blocks, with 0.9.

Amara Jones is fourth in the River Valley South with 3.4 steals per game.

RIVER VALLEY SOUTH BOYS STANDINGS

TEAM CONFERENCE OVERALL

1. Mid-Prairie 6-0, 7-0

2. Wilton 4-0, 7-0

3. West Branch 4-4, 4-4

4. Tipton 2-5, 3-5

5. Regina 2-5, 2-6

6. Durant 1-5, 1-6

7. West Liberty 1-7, 1-7

RIVER VALLEY SOUTH GIRLS STANDINGS

TEAM CONFERENCE OVERALL

1. Regina Catholic 7-0, 7-2

2. West Branch 6-1, 6-1

3. West Liberty 6-1, 6-2

4. Wilton 5-2, 6-2

5. Mid-Prairie 4-3, 4-3

6. Tipton 2-6, 2-7

7. Durant 1-6, 2-6