If ever there was a David vs. Goliath match up for ADM boys basketball this season, their match up to start 2017 could very well fit that bill.
The Tigers will be hitting the road tomorrow as they take on perennial powerhouse Pella, a team that has accumulated a total of just nine losses over the course of the past three seasons. While the Tigers are 5 years removed from the bright lights of the state tournament, the Pella Dutch on the other hand have gained frequent flyer status to the big dance as of late; earning state tournament births the past two seasons straight.
This season Pella brings an aggressive, full court pressure, dominating offense and defense that yields a 5-1 record up through the break and averaging just over 74 points per game. The Dutch have been shooting just under 50% from field goal range while connecting on over 57% of their free throws. While there may be many ways this Pella Dutch squad can hurt opponents, seemingly presenting too many problems to focus on, ADM head coach Aaron Mager told Raccoon Valley Radio, the best way to attack Pella starts with patience.
“I think you have to be patient, I think their biggest strength is with their relentless athletes. They play at a high level of energy and they’re used to winning and you can see that mindset that they’re going to go full throttle, they play 9, 10, or 11 guys. The first thing you’ve got to do is be patient, be strong with the ball, take care of the ball; they’re going to try and speed you up and make you turn it over. Then you’ve got to contain their dribble because they’re really going to attack the paint, they’re not a great great shooting team but they’re efficient enough because they’re getting it inside out,” explained coach Mager.
The Tigers and the Dutch will duke it out tomorrow in a non conference contest in Pella as part of game two of the girl/boy double header beginning with the girls game at 6:00 pm. You can catch both Tiger match ups with pregame coverage to tip things off at 5:45 pm on K107.9 FM and streamed online at raccoonvalleyradio.com.