Washington Evening Journal
111 North Marion Avenue
Washington, IA 52353
319-653-2191
February Frustration
Andy Krutsinger
Feb. 25, 2021 12:00 am
Sometimes postseason basketball is unforgiving, and the Union coverage area teams playing on Tuesday night felt that in spades. Four of the five Union area basketball teams in action saw their seasons come to an end.
The night saw the final cut of Union area girls basketball. Fairfield, the only area team to make a regional final dropped its Class 4A regional final at North Scott, leaving no girls teams left standing.
While the New London boys carried the torch with a thrilling Class 1A Substate semifinal victory over Springville, the other three small school boys' teams all came up short. Pekin and Mid-Prairie were both knocked out in Class 2A Substate semifinals, and Keota lost a heartbreaker in Class 1A.
There are now just three teams left in the Union coverage area. Washington and Mt. Pleasant are still alive in Class 3A boys semifinals, and New London is one win away from a state berth.
Pekin's Luke Long blocks a West Burlington player's shot Tuesday in a 74-59 postseason loss in Ottumwa. (Dan Hockett/Special to the Hawk Eye)
Keota's Luke Hammen hits a runner in the lane for two points Tuesday at Williamsburg in a 53-51 postseason loss to Montezuma. (Jared Larson/News-Review)
Fairfield's Delaney Breen puts up a 3-pointer in the Trojan girls' regional final loss at North Scott on Tuesday night. (Andy Krutsinger/The Union)
In a herculean effort, Carter Harmse (black) scored 32 points in Tuesday's 67-55 loss to Camanche. Mid-Prairie head coach Daren Lambert said he had never seen a high school player work so hard to get points. (Doug Brenneman/Union)
Carter Harmsen, Mid-Prairie teammate Ethan Kos (41) and Will Cavanagh defend Camanche's Mike Delzell Tuesday in a Class 2A postseason game at West Liberty. In a herculean effort, Harmsen scored 32 points in the 67-55 loss. Mid-Prairie head coach Daren Lambert said he had never seen a high school player work so hard to get points. (Doug Brenneman/Union)