A-P, D-NH basketball to clash in 2019 finale

Aplington-Parkersburg and Dike-New Hartford girls and boys basketball should send 2019 off on a high note.

 

The girls game, scheduled for a 6:15 p.m. start on Friday, Dec. 20 at Aplington-Parkersburg High School, will be a matchup of two teams that qualified for the state tournament last season. The boys matchup will be a clash between two undefeated teams: the D-NH boys are 5-0, A-P is 6-0.

 

PHOTOS FROM 2018-19: D-NH vs. A-P basketball (12/11/18) / A-P at D-NH basketball (2/4/19)

 

Dike-New Hartford's girls enter Friday's game with a 5-1 overall record and a 5-0 mark in the North Iowa Cedar League's East Division. Aplington-Parkersburg is 4-2 overall and 2-2 in the NICL East. The Falcons' two losses were to Hudson and Jesup, teams that D-NH defeated by an average of 22.5 points. In the Dec. 12 rankings from the IGHSAU, D-NH is rated seventh in Class 3A, A-P is ninth in 2A.

 

D-NH senior Ellie Foster leads the NICL East in scoring average at 21.5 points per game and teammate Katie Knock averages 13.5 per game. A-P senior Sophia Jungling is second in the division at a 16.7 per-game average and leads the NICL East with 38 steals.

 

The boys game features Dike-New Hartford junior Dane Fuller, leading the division at 22 points per game, which is also a top-10 mark in 2A. Aplington-Parkersburg brings a more balanced attack, with five players averaging eight or more points, led by Jayden Mackie's 14.0 point-per-game clip. Owen Thomas contributes 11.2 points per contest.

 

The Falcons can leverage a height advantage, too, with 6-foot-6 Josh Haan and 6-foot-7 Christian Haugstad seeing significant minutes for A-P. Matt Reinicke is the Wolverines' tallest at 6-5. D-NH employs a fast-paced style and has made nearly 50 percent of their shots this season, including 40.5 percent shooting from beyond the 3-point line.

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