Underwood Boys’ BKB Reaches Substate Final with Thrilling Win over OABCIG, 54-50

Underwood's Maddox Mechaelsen & Nolan Baker (2-24-26)

Underwood Boys’ BKB Reaches Substate Final with Thrilling Win over OABCIG, 54-50 -

(2-24-26) – The stats were even. So was the game after the first 30 minutes.

Garrett Luett’s layup with just over a minute remaining put Underwood in front for good and they’d hold on to beat OABCIG 54-50 in the 2A – District 13 championship game.

The wild back-and-forth affair that saw the Eagles down by 6 pts in the 4th qtr. Luett was actually in foul trouble forcing players like Nolan Baker to step up their game.

“With them out other people are going to have to take a step up. I knew that. But it wasn't just about getting a shot. It was about getting everyone involved,” said Baker following his 15-pt performance in the win. “I can't just go in there and force a three-person contested fadeaway in mid-range. I got to find my way to get into the paint and credit to Landon (Wigington), Connor (Brummett), Garrett down low. When I got in, they made sure their man wasn't going to be a problem for me, and that made a lot of help.”

Underwood finished the game on 7-0 run, with Baker hitting a 3-ptr to tie the game, Luett’s layup and a gutsy 5-ft jumper from Maddox Mechaelsen with 34.3 seconds left to clinch the win. Mechaelsen led the charge defensively with several key steals to slow down the Falcons’ offense.

“On the defensive end, I got my hands on a lot of balls,” said Mechaelsen after being credited with 3 of Underwood’s 8 steals against OABCIG. “I'm not the biggest guy in the world. I've always been taught when the big guys bring it low, you swipe at it and usually when you swipe at it, when the guys bring it low, with the crowd like tonight, they can't really hear it, even if you do slap it. So, like, if they keep it low and just take the ball.”

Neither team would build bigger than a 6-pt lead in the entire game. It was tied after the 1st & 2nd qtrs before the Falcons took a 3-pt advantage into the final qtr.

OABCIG was led by Kade Spotts with 14 pts, while Evan Hoffman had 13 pts. Star Jaxx DeJean was held to just 7 pts, only 2 of those in the 2nd half for the Falcons, who wrap up their season, 17-6.

Wigington added 12 pts while Luett had 11 pts for the Eagles, who will face Treynor Saturday at Thomas Jefferson High School in Council Bluffs.

View past scores by visiting the Iowa High School Athletic Association's website, Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union website,
or Iowa Quik Stats