DES MOINES - Third-seeded Boyden-Hull won the Class 1A state title Friday night, stunning previously undefeated and top-seeded Danville 63-45.
Bryce Moss scored a game-high 17 points for the Comets (26-2), who handed Danville its second straight loss in the state championship game.
Boyden-Hull jumped ahead by 10, 49-39, when Moss bullied his way to the basket with 5:04 left. Danville turned it over, and Moss scored again underneath and pumped his fists in celebration.
All-Tournament team captain Steven Soukup had 15 points for Danville (27-1).
Danville had won each of its 27 contests by double digits. But things fell apart for the favored Bears in the second half.
The game was tied three times and the lead switched hands four times during a spirited start. But Moss's layup helped Boyden-Hull take a 30-27 lead at the break, and the Comets stretched it to as much as 34-28 early in the third quarter.
Boyden-Hull's surprising lead rose to 43-35 on Nathan Alexander's jump-shot floater late in the third.
Soukup and his twin brother Michael, both 6-foot-5 forwards, average over 36 points a game. But they combined for just 13 through three quarters as Boyden-Hull clung to a 43-39 lead.
The Bears couldn't rally in the final eight minutes and watched their unbeaten season end in Des Moines in agonizing fashion yet again.
Danville lost to St. Mary's of Storm Lake 74-59 in last year's title game. The Comets knocked off St, Mary's to reach Friday's final, then took down the Bears for their first title since 2003.
CLASS 2A
Mount Vernon 48, FD St. Edmond 45
Mount Vernon's Jake Timm buried three free throws in the final 19 seconds and the Mustangs rallied to beat St. Edmond, Fort Dodge 48-45 in the Class 2A title game.
Micah Russell scored 19 points to lead fourth-seeded Mount Vernon (23-4), which trailed by 15 points before roaring back to stun the unranked Gaels.
Clark had 24 points to lead all scorers for St. Edmonds (20-7).
Clarinda, St. Mary's claim consolation finals
DES MOINES - Clarinda outscored MFL/Mar-Mac 23-8 in the fourth quarter to run away with the Class 2A consolation championship, 69-52, Friday afternoon inside Wells Fargo Arena.
The Cardinals (21-5) got a monster performance from Tyler Steeve, who scored 27 points, grabbed nine rebounds and tallied three steals as Clarinda rebounded from its overtime loss Thursday to St. Edmond.
Alex Hiatt scored 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting while both Brandon Sweet and Alex Archer collected seven boards as Clarinda won its first game at state in eight trips.
The Bobcats (24-3) were paced by Dalton Dettbarn's 15 points and Brandon Hertrampf's 13 points and seven boards.
1A: Storm Lake St. Mary's 81, Nodaway Valley 46
The Panthers blitzed the Wolverines early and ran away with the Class 1A consolation championship of the Iowa High School State Boys Basketball Tournament on Friday.
St. Mary's (27-1) led 28-8 after the first quarter and 51-20 at the break to end its season with a wind for the second consecutive year after winning the state title last season.
Kennedy Drey led a trio of Panthers in double figures with 20 points while also grabbing 10 boards.
The Wolverines (23-4) got 11 points from both TJ Bower and Zach Plymesser along with 11 rebounds from Alex Welsch.