Exira 63, Prince of Peace 57

Exira's Hallie Christofferson put together a game to remember in the 2010 state tournament opener.

Christofferson, a 6-foot-3 senior, just missed a triple double in leading second-ranked Exira past Clinton Prince of Peace 63-57 in Class 1A play on Monday.

An Iowa State recruit, Christofferson scored 32 points, grabbed 20 rebounds and blocked eight shots in one of the top individual performances in recent years.

She showed a variety of moves around the basket and a soft touch while hitting 12 of 17 shots, including a 3-pointer. Christofferson also made four steals, handed out a couple of assists and often brought the ball up the floor against Prince of Peace's full-court pressure.

Her 20 rebounds are the fourth-highest total in a state tournament game.

Exira, now 24-0, dominated its competition during the season, winning by an average of 33 points a game. The scrappy unranked Irish battled the Vikettes to the end, however, even after falling behind by 18 points in the third quarter.

Prince of Peace gave Exira problems with its quick hands and hustle on defense. But the Vikettes overcame their 28 turnovers by shooting 62.5 percent and got key baskets down the stretch from Christofferson and Courtney Peppers to stay in control.

The six-point margin was the closest of the season for Exira, which advances to a semifinal game at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Ann Walker added 14 points and 11 assists for Exira, while Maddy Peppers scored 12 points.

Katie Isenhour led Prince of Peace with 15 points and Brittany Horst scored 14. Ariana Aquilani added 10 points and five steals for the Irish, who finish 17-8.