Aplington-Parkersburg 54, South Hamilton 51

Class 2A Quarterfinals

Aplington-Parkersburg 54, South Hamilton 51

DES MOINES — The finish was always going to be close.

Aplington-Parkersburg and South Hamilton were evenly-matched throughout Monday night’s Class 2A quarterfinal, and the largest lead of the game was only five points, but the Falcons found separation in the fourth quarter. It took constant defensive stops and a nail-biting final minute and Alec Oberhauser’s put-back layup off a missed free throw with six seconds remaining, yet Aplington-Parkersburg (24-1) held on for a 54-51 win at Wells Fargo Arena.

The Falcons shot 52 percent in the game and outscored South Hamilton (24-1) by a count of 15-8 in the fourth quarter. That convincing performance late countered a gritty performance from South Hamilton point guard Marco Balderas, who finished with a game-high 24 points, including 11 in the up-tempo third quarter. Oberhauser led Aplington-Parkersburg with 14 points, and Aaron Price and Carter Cuvelier added 13 and 12, respectively.

The game ended South Hamilton’s unbeaten 2017-18 season. Aplington-Parkersburg was making its first return to state since finishing fourth in 2015. The win puts the fifth-seeded Falcons in a Wednesday semifinal against No. 1 seed Treynor. Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m.

Quarterfinal Round – March 5-6

Treynor 59, Wapello 53 – Final | BOX SCORE | GAME STORY

Aplington-Parkersburg 54, South Hamilton 51 – Final | BOX SCORE

8:15 p.m.—Sheldon vs. Kuemper Catholic, Carroll

9:30 a.m.—Van Meter vs. Cascade, Western Dubuque