The Belmond-Klemme boys’ basketball team opened the postseason in style.
After a solid regular season, the top-seeded Broncos took down No. 8-seeded North Iowa 86-58 in a Substate 1, District 2 game on Monday, Feb. 16.
That advanced Belmond-Klemme (16-5) to the second round of playoffs where it hosted No. 5 West Fork (10-13) on Feb. 19. The winner of that game will play in the substate district final on Feb. 24.
Belmond-Klemme 60, Garner Hayfield Ventura 58
In a seesaw battle, Belmond-Klemme outlasted host Garner Hayfield Ventura 60-58 in a Top of Iowa West game on Feb. 9.
Tied at 29 at halftime, Belmond-Klemme took a slim 44-43 lead after three quarters. The Broncos were clutch down the stretch to pull off the two-point victory.
Belmond-Klemme shot 45.5% (25-for-55) from the field, including 51.2% (21-for-41) on 3-pointers. The team picked up 12 steals and grabbed 11 offensive rebounds.
Brody Heifner had a monster game with 30 points on 13-for-18 shooting; he also added 12 rebounds and four steals. Kysen Lamb had nine points, five steals and a pair of assists. Saul Duran chipped in seven points and four rebounds. Cash Young and Juan Medina scored five points apiece.
Forest City 60, Belmond-Klemme 44
Belmond-Klemme suffered a season-low in points and the largest margin of loss this year as it dropped a 60-44 game to visiting Forest City on Feb. 10.
It snapped the Broncos’ seven-game winning streak.
The Indians jumped out to a quick lead and took a 35-17 advantage into halftime. The Broncos’ deficit ballooned to 19, 52-33, heading into the fourth.
Belmond-Klemme had its worst shooting night from behind the 3-point arc of the season, hitting just 9.1% on 2 of 22. It was 14-for-28 (50%) on 2-point shots.
Since it was senior night, Heifner — a junior — came off the bench. He tallied a game-high 23 points and nine rebounds. Fellow junior Lamb came through with 11 points, seven rebounds, four steals and two blocks. Coewhan Kelley led the seniors with four points and three boards.
Belmond-Klemme 86, North Iowa 58
Belmond-Klemme wasn’t going to leave anything to chance as it led from start to finish in an 86-58 victory over North Iowa in a first-round playoff game on Feb. 16.
“I’m really proud of how our guys approached the game from preparation through the final buzzer,” Belmond-Klemme coach Justin Meyer said. “Coming out of the regular season, we had a strong week of practice with multiple days in a row to prepare. That time allowed our coaching staff to put together a defensive game plan we felt would make it difficult for North Iowa to get comfortable offensively. On the other end of the floor, our emphasis was to push the ball in transition and consistently work inside-out to create high-quality scoring opportunities.”
Belmond-Klemme executed its game plan right away — getting the ball inside and playing with great pace, noted Meyer. They led 28-10 after eight minutes as Lamb pumped in 16 first-quarter points.
The Broncos bumped its advantage to 50-22 at halftime and cruised the rest of the way.
“In the second half, I was pleased with how we stayed focused and finished the game the right way,” Meyer said. “Offensively, our commitment to getting the ball inside early and often really paid off.”
Heifner led all scorers with 27 points. The Broncos got great production from their bench as reserve posts Medina (13) and Kelley (nine) combined for 22 points.
“That kind of balance makes us tough to defend,” Meyer said. “While there was a lot to like, we know we still need to continue improving in certain areas — especially finishing defensive possessions by boxing out and securing rebounds. As we move forward in postseason play, those details will become even more important. Overall, it was a strong start, and I’m proud of the focus and effort our guys showed tonight.”