Click below to view pictures of the game.

Photos by Sarah Longmire

The West Boys Basketball team has been dominant over the past decade. Three state championships in the last four years, seven straight winning seasons, and now six consecutive state semifinal berths with a win over Des Moines Hoover 51-48 on Wednesday night.

Despite a poor offensive performance on the part of West High, which featured a five point third quarter, their defense held strong. Holding Hoover to six points in both the second and third quarters, respectively.

Devontae Lane ’17 led the team with 24 points on the night and Connor McCaffery ’17 and Wali Parks ’16 both chipped in eight points in the slim victory.

West came in as the lower seed but also a far more experienced team. Facing two nationally ranked teams from the state of Minnesota (Apple Valley, Maple Grove), and also solid 3A and 4A competition.

Despite being the lower seed, West (#6) was higher in almost every statistical category over than Hoover (#3) was. West posted better per game averages of the course of the year in points, assists, steals, and blocks.

West will now face a Cedar Falls team whom they beat back in January at Cedar Falls with a score of 61-49. Cedar Falls is coming off a close victory as well as they beat a higher seeded Council Bluffs, just like West did with Hoover, in a 60-58 contest.

The game will be held on Friday at 3:15 pm. If West wins that contest as well then they will reach the state championship game for the fourth time in the past five years.