Norwalk Basketball Teams Sweep Pella Christian in Defensive Battles

Warriors' girls use 23-1 run to pull away, while boys hold Pella Christian to 6 points in final 12 minutes

Jan. 28, 2026 at 12:39pm

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The Norwalk basketball teams used strong defensive performances to sweep a girl-boy doubleheader at Pella Christian on Tuesday night. The Warrior girls broke open a close game with a 23-1 run in the third quarter to win 58-37, while the boys held Pella Christian to just 6 points in the final 12 minutes to win 44-32.

Why it matters

The wins keep both Norwalk teams in contention for their respective conference titles, as the girls remain undefeated in the Little Hawkeye Conference and the boys improve to 6-2. The defensive efforts also highlight the Warriors' ability to adjust and wear down opponents, a key skill as they look to make deep postseason runs.

The details

In the girls game, Norwalk led just 24-23 at halftime and 30-29 in the third quarter before unleashing their relentless defense, which created several easy baskets off turnovers. Sophomore Braylyn Birmingham scored 38 points to lead the Warriors. In the boys game, Norwalk never trailed and used an early 11-1 run to build a lead they would not relinquish, clamping down defensively in the final quarter and a half to hold Pella Christian to just 6 points.

  • The games were played on Tuesday, January 28, 2026.
  • The Norwalk girls previously defeated Pella Christian 69-17 on December 12.

The players

Braylyn Birmingham

A sophomore who scored 38 points to lead the Norwalk girls to victory.

Pearl Brown

Contributed 9 points for the Norwalk girls.

Grace Bordenaro

Made a pair of 3-pointers for 6 points for the Norwalk girls.

Rachel Kacmarynski

Finished with 17 points and 16 rebounds for Pella Christian in the girls game.

Tillman Papcun

Paced the Norwalk boys with 13 points.

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What’s next

Both Warrior squads return to action on Friday night at Indianola.

The takeaway

Norwalk's ability to make defensive adjustments and wear down opponents was on full display, a key skill that will serve them well as they look to make deep postseason runs in their respective state tournaments.