What to expect from No. 4 Ballard's 4A girls' state quarterfinal matchup with No. 5 Decorah
Ballard will be making its fourth girls state basketball tournament appearance in a row next Tuesday when the No. 4 Bombers face No. 5 Decorah in the Class 4A quarterfinals at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.
The Bombers achieved plenty of success during its three previous trips to the Well. They were state runners-up in 3A last season and 2021 state champions in 4A.
They'll be looking for more of the same next week and can't wait to get started.
"This is something that never gets old," Ballard coach Kelly Anderson said. "It's fantastic."
Ballard enters the tournament with an 18-3 record. The Bombers have wins over No. 1 Dallas Center-Grimes and 3A No. 13 Clear Lake and their only losses came to 4A No. 2 North Polk (twice) and a Carlisle team they just defeated by a decisive 58-41 margin in the 4A Region 4 final.
Ballard lost its top three scorers off last year's team that fell to Estherville Lincoln Central in the 3A title game by a 44-30 score. Gone are two-time all-state guard Brooke Loewe, versatile all-Raccoon River Conference forward Meg Rietz and 3-point specialist Kylie Rigby.
But at a school that's averaged 20 wins per season for 30 years, the Bombers simply reloaded and went to work.
"There isn't much difference between teams from year to year," Anderson said. "We play the same type of game, it's the personalities that change from year to year."
Junior 6-foot, 1-inch forward Alliyah Thompson has become one of the top offensive forces in all of 4A this season.
More:How Alliyah Thompson has emerged as the next great Ballard girls basketball player
After putting up 3.6 points per game as a valuable reserve last year, Thompson is averaging an impressive 17 points this season. She is shooting 53.2% from the field, 39% from 3-point range and 67.8% from the line.
Thompson also also Ballard's top rebounder at 6.9 per game and she is a terror on defense, averaging 3.1 steals and 2.0 blocks
Senior guard Lily Beall is the heart and soul of the Bombers.
A 3A All-Tournament pick last year, Beall is Ballard's defensive stopper and most disruptive force on the perimeter. She's also a clutch shooter and tough rebounder, averaging 6.2 points and 5.5 boards along with 2.4 assists and 1.9 steals.
The cousin tandem of seniors Paige Noe and Lily Hillebrand share duties running the Bomber attack.
Noe averages 7.4 points, 3.9 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.8 steals and she has 24 3-pointers on the season. Hillebrand averages 7.1 points, 3.2 assists and 2.0 rebounds and she has made 21 shots from behind the arc.
Junior Alise Van Pelt is the perfect role player filling out the rest of the Bomber starting five. She is putting up 4.9 rebounds, 3.8 points, 2.1 assists and 1.5 steals.
Junior Kiley Calvert and sophomore Raegan Loewe give Ballard a dynamite duo off the bench.
Calvert leads Ballard with 44 3-pointers on 38.6% accuracy and she averages 6.8 points and 1.7 assists. Loewe averages 4.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals.
More:How a big spark off the bench helped No. 4 Ballard get a 4A regional semifinal win over ADM
Even with its battle-tested resume from the past couple state tournaments, Ballard expects Decorah to provide a huge challenge.
"They are very good," Anderson said. "They play physical and have very good guards."
Decorah averages 63.4 points and has 167 3-pointers on 37.2% accuracy. The Vikings lead 4A in scoring and they are on a 14-game winning streak.
Decorah is led by the dynamic backcourt combo of senior Bryar Duwe and junior Yazmeen Whitsitt.
Duwe averages 17.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.9 steals and Whitsitt 19.7 points, 2.3 steals and 2.0 assists. Duwe has 46 3-pointers on 35.9% accuracy and Whitsitt has made 74 treys at a 40.4% clip.
Senior Haley Gossman, a 5-11 forward, is the top post threat for Decorah. She averages 9.0 points and 7.3 rebounds.
Freshman Brooklyn Fomm, a 5-10 forward, averages 6.2 points and 3.5 rebounds and senior wing Kylie O'Hara 5.7 points and 6.6 rebounds.
Ballard counters Decorah with one of the best defenses in the state. The Bombers lead 4A in fewest points allowed at 36 per game.
The Bombers' ability to slow the Vikings down could easily be the deciding factor in the final outcome.
"It always comes down to defense," Anderson said. "If you want to win championships you have to get it done on defense."
Ballard versus Decorah prediction
Duwe and Whitsitt have the potential to give Ballard fits next Tuesday.
The Bombers will also need to avoid a lull on offense. They struggled to score for stretches in a 51-34 win over Adel-Desoto-Minburn during the regional semifinals and were held under 50 points in two of their three losses.
But never count out Ballard at state. The Bombers are 5-1 at Wells Fargo over the past two years, four of their starters played a big role on last year's team and no one in 4A does defense like the Bombers.
Prediction: Ballard 51, Decorah 46
This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Dangerous Decorah backcourt awaits Ballard in 4A state quarterfinals
