The Iola-Scandinavia boys basketball team delivered a commanding performance March 3 in the regional semifinal, defeating Crivitz 73–44 at Iola-Scandinavia High School. A dominant first half and strong rebounding effort helped the Thunderbirds build an early lead and cruise to the nonconference victory.
Iola-Scandinavia set the tone quickly, jumping out to a 39–19 advantage by halftime. The home team shot efficiently throughout the game, finishing at 51.6 percent from the field compared to Crivitz’s 27.6 percent. The Thunderbirds also controlled the glass, outrebounding Crivitz 48–24, which helped generate second-chance opportunities and limit the visitors’ offensive rhythm.
Alex Robbins led the way for Iola-Scandinavia with a double-double performance. Robbins scored 18 points while pulling down a game-high 16 rebounds, including three on the offensive end. His presence in the paint helped the Thunderbirds maintain possession and control the pace of the game.
RJ Opperman also had a big night offensively, scoring 17 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field. Opperman added four assists and four steals, contributing on both ends of the court. Korz Loken added another strong performance with 10 points and 11 rebounds, giving Iola-Scandinavia a second double-double effort in the game.
The Thunderbirds spread the scoring across the lineup as well. Wyatt Wolberg finished with eight points and four assists off the bench, while Alex Zielke chipped in seven points. Jaric Thulien added five points and two assists, and Mason Kriesel contributed four points.
Crivitz struggled to find consistent offense against the Thunderbirds’ defense. Colton Arpke led the visitors with seven points, while Kade Thoma, Brooks Ludwig, Stephen Allard, and Aiden Flynn each added six points. Flynn and Ludwig both connected on a pair of three-pointers for Crivitz, accounting for four of the team’s six shots from beyond the arc.
Iola-Scandinavia continued its strong play in the second half, outscoring Crivitz 34–25 to seal the 29-point victory.
BONDUEL-In the regional final on March 7, the Thunderbirds took on Bonduel for the third time this season after losing the first two matchups by single digits.
Bonduel built an early advantage, leading 41–32 at halftime. Iola-Scandinavia responded with a solid second half, outscoring Bonduel 33–29, but the early deficit proved too much to overcome as Bonduel held on for the five-point win.
Iola-Scandinavia was led by Alex Robbins, who scored a game-high 25 points on an efficient 12-for-20 shooting from the field while also grabbing nine rebounds.
Korz Loken added 17 points and six rebounds, shooting 8-for-11 from the field, while contributing five assists in a strong all-around performance.
RJ Opperman also finished with 17 points, connecting on five three-pointers and helping stretch the defense throughout the game.
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