The Hampton-Dumont-CAL boys basketball team will have the unenviable task of facing #1 (3A) Clear Lake to begin the playoffs in Monday’s 3A Substate 3 first round game, which’ll air on 104.9 KLMJ. It’ll be the fifth time in seven seasons the teams will have met in the first round of the playoffs.
Coming off a 4-18 regular season, the Bulldogs will look to utilize the inside presence of 6’7” junior Brady Harr, who leads with 18 points per game. But the undefeated (21-0) Lions will counter with a notable size advantage that includes four players that are 6’5” or taller. Going up against one of the most dominant teams in Iowa, Bulldog coach Brian Niesen says his team will take it one possession at a time.
“We’ll try to stay composed during their runs,” Niesen says. “Clear Lake’s gonna make runs, they’re gonna go on spurts, gonna get a couple hoops in a row. We’ve just gotta try to keep our cool, try to keep our composure. I can use timeouts early if needed, but just try to have a short memory. They’re gonna make some good plays, but if they do something really good, try to have a short memory and just try to make the next play the best we can. And we’re just gonna try to stay in the game as long as possible. So that means having longer possessions, taking timeouts early, we’ll just try to stay in the game as long as we can.”
Clear Lake’s average margin of victory is 30 points. They lead Class 3A and are second overall with 23.2 assists per game.
Coverage will start at 6:40 p.m., followed by the tipoff at 7:00. The winner will advance to Thursday’s substate semifinal against either Center Point-Urbana or Vinton-Shellsburg.
Brian Niesen interview:
