by Mari Radtke
MMCRU Royals came out on top of a rematch at substate with North Union Warriors at Storm Lake. After a very tight first half with the Royals taking a 1-point lead to the break, the third quarter showed the scoring and disruption habits of the Royals. Their shooting was back to hitting from all over the court. The players showed patience in running the plays and getting their players into position. From under the basket to driving “And-1s” to the very valuable outside 3s, the third quarter Royals’ play set the trend for the last half of the game.
The Royals went up by as much as 18 points in the second half, but the Warriors never gave up and never stopped being a threat. It was under the final minute that enough confidence of a win was shown with which players were on the court.
The game final was 56-42 to become a 2025 State Qualifier. The Royals play in the quarterfinals of the State Tournament on Tuesday March 10 at 5:30pm. The #2 Royals meet #7 Boyden-Hull at Casey’s Center, 233 Center St. Des Moines. Tickets are available online at iahsaa.org/basketball/state-tournament-central/