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The Class 1A District 9 Championship is on the line tonight at Central Lee High School when the Winfield-Mt. Union boys square off with the Danville Bears. The Wolves come into the game at 21-2 on the year. They were 16-0 undefeated champions of the North Division of the Southeast Iowa Superconference. In the last round, the Wolves held off Hillcrest Academy for a 48-43 victory. On the season, WMU scores 56 points per game, giving up 34, shoot 49% from the floor, with 30 boards, 15 assists, eight steals and 10 turnovers per game. Individual leaders include Cam Buffington who is averaging a double double of 20 points and 10 rebounds per game to go along with three assists and two steals.
Danville is also 21-2 this year. They finished as runners-up in the Superconference South Division with a 14-2 league mark. The Bears needed a buzzer beater from Caiden Gourley to survive Burlington Notre Dame’s upset bid 42-41 last week. On the season, the Bears score 57 points per game and give up 41, shooting 44% from the floor with 34 rebounds, 17 assists 10th in 1A, a best in the state 17 steals and 12 turnovers per game. Individual Danville leaders include Drake Johnson and Gourley each at 14 points per game. Sawyer Nelson averages 10 rebounds per night and Ty Carr has three steals. WMU head coach Klay Edwards joined the KCII postgame show last week to talk about what he has seen from his team so far in the playoffs and what it will take to be successful moving forward. “I’m glad to see that in big moments we have matured. We are hitting big shots, hitting free throws. We’re really fortunate. Tuesday will be fun they (Danville) get after it. The pressure is off our kids now. We’ll be the underdog in whatever game we play from here on out so we can just go out, let it hang out, and have some fun.”
These two teams have met just twice in the last 11 years, with Danville winning both matchups, the most recent an 82-68 victory in 2015. The winner of this game will play the winner of WACO and New London Saturday for a bid to the boys state tournament in Des Moines. Action between the Wolves and Bears gets underway tonight at 7p.m. at Central Lee High School.