A low scoring tight ballgame was a surprise to no one, but the length of time to decide a victor was something no one could predict in Saturday’s class 1A boys basketball substate 5 final in Fairfield. In a three overtime defensive struggle, Danville was the team that punched their ticket to the big dance by ending WACO’s postseason run by a 46-39 final score. 

As heard on KCII, it was block city early for both teams’ big men with WACO’s Cody Graber and Danville’s Sawyer Nelson not allowing anything easy in the lane. The slow paced first half saw the Warriors take control leading 9-5 after one and 15-10 at intermission. The Bears crept closer in the third cutting it to 23-22 and free basketball ensued when it was deadlocked at 30-30 at the end of regulation. Both teams scored just two points in the first overtime and WACO found themselves down three early in the second extra period before a clutch triple from the corner by Hunter Hughes that helped force another four minutes. The Bears’ Cadence Williams hit the shot of the day to open the third overtime by drilling his only three to put the Warriors in a hole they couldn’t dig out of. Danville played keep away and outscored their Southeast Iowa Super Conference foe 7-0 in the final four minutes to triumph in the battle of attrition. Both teams shot under 32% and combined to go just six of 29 from deep. The biggest disparity was the free throw department with the Bears nailing 19 including four in the third overtime compared to the Warriors’ eight for the entire game. The 6’6’’ Nelson finished with 20 points, 19 rebounds, and six blocks for the victorious Bears. The 6’5’’ Graber also had six swats, 13 rebounds, and five points. Hughes was the only WACO player in double figures with 11, Simeon Reichenbach had nine, and Mason Miller registered eight. 

Danville improves to 23-2 and advances to Wells Fargo Arena where they battle Lake Mills next Monday in the quarterfinals. WACO closes the winter 20-5 and the future looks bright with the top seven rotation players all returning. They say goodbye to four seniors in Vincent Jones, Taylor Sutton, Tyler Sutton, and Zach Schmitz.