CLASS 4A QUARTERFINALS

Sioux City East 61, Bettendorf 53

Sioux City East and Bettendorf are more than five hours away from one another. But for most of Wednesday night’s Class 4A state quarterfinal basketball game, the Raiders and Bulldogs were as close as possible.

After hardly any separation and just four lead changes, Sioux City East pulled away to beat Bettendorf, 61-53, on Wednesday night at Wells Fargo Arena. The Raiders improve to 22-2 on the year, and advance to the state semifinals on Friday afternoon.

“That’s a big, physical team,” Sioux City coach Ras Vanderloo said. “But I couldn’t be more proud of these guys. I thought our plan and our execution was good. We beat a real good team. We’re not done yet, we hope.”

Bettendorf senior Suni Lane throws down one of his two dunks against Sioux City East during the Iowa High School state basketball tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines on Wednesday, March 8, 2017.

The Raiders won the game thanks largely to a 24 of 27 showing from the free-throw line. Junior Van Rees went 13-for-15 on his own, part of a 25-point, 10-rebound performance to lead Sioux City East.

Bettendorf led 11-6 midway through the first, but trailed 27-20 at halftime after the Raiders scored 12 points off 11 Bulldog turnovers. J Michael Young then scored 12 points in the third quarter to help Bettendorf to a 41-40 lead. Young would finished with 20 on 5 of 12 shooting.

Aidan Vanderloo added 18 for Sioux City East, including 11 in the second half. He hit 3 of 4 from deep, including one in the fourth to put the Raiders up 47-41, a lead they would not relinquish.

Sioux City East senior Jailen Billings hits a shot against Bettendorf during the Iowa High School state basketball tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines on Wednesday, March 8, 2017.

Behind Young, D.J. Carlton added 12 points for Bettendorf. The Bulldogs finished the season 18-6 overall.

Sioux City East (61) – Rees 25, Vanderloo 18, Billings 8, Taylor 4, Hildahl 4, Siebersma 2. Also played – Berthusen, Dunson, Peterson, Carlson, Munson. Totals – 17, 24/27.

Bettendorf (53) – Young 20, Carton 12, Clearman 9, Lane 8, Kallenberger 2, Grothusen 2. Also played – Martens, Baer, Hill, Hutter, Fall. Totals – 19, 8/10.

Sioux City East…12 15 13 21 – 61 

Bettendorf…11 9 21 12 – 53 

3-point field goals – SCE 3: Vanderloo 3. B 7: Clearman 3, Young 2, Carton 2. Fouls – SCE 14. B 24. Fouled out – SCE: none. B: Lane, Grothusen.

MORE: Live brackets for the state boys’ basketball tourney

Cedar Rapids Kennedy 55, Dubuque Hempstead  47

This is why you play whistle to whistle, kids. After trailing 32-11 in the second quarter, Cedar Rapids Kennedy stormed back to beat Dubuque Hempstead 55-47 in the Class 4A quarterfinals Wednesday at Wells Fargo Arena.

Dubuque Hempstead senior Marshon Crowder pulls in a rebound against Cedar Rapids Kennedy during the Iowa High School state basketball tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines on Wednesday, March 8, 2017.

Kennedy will play top-seeded Iowa City West (21-3) Friday at 1:30 p.m. in the semifinals.

Derrick Diggins (14), Jackson Foley (14), Drake Brewster (13) and Malik Haynes (10) netted double figures for the fifth-seeded Cougars (19-5).

Hempstead (18-6) committed five of its 13 turnovers in the third quarter, when Kennedy outscored it 19-2. Meanwhile, Kennedy committed two turnovers in the entire second half.

Curtis Martin III led Hempstead with 19 points off the bench on 6 of 9 shooting. The rest of the team shot 9-for-37. A Marshon Crowder layup pulled Hempstead within one, 44-43, wit 4:17 left. That’s as close as it got.

CR Kennedy (55)—Diggins 14, Foley 14, Brewster 13, Haynes 10, Duehr 2, Jenkins 2. Also played—Berst, Harris, Basquin. Totals—12, 26/35.

Dubuque Hempstead (47)—Martin III 19, Connor Duax 8, Lucas Duax 6, Johnson 6, Crowder 4, Cooksley 2, Evans 2. Also played—Courtney, Sindberg. Totals—15, 11/14.

CR Kennedy…9 11 19 16 — 55

Hempstead…16 18 2 11 — 47

3-point field goals—CRK 5: Foley 2, Haynes 1, Brewster 1, Diggins 1. DH 6: Martin III 3, Connor Duax 2, Lucas Duax 1. Fouls—CRK 15, DH 26. Fouled out—CRK: none. DH: Lucas Duax, Crowder, Martin III.