DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Grant DeMeulenaere scored 17 points and sparked a fast start that carried Grand View Christian to a 61-50 victory over Gladbrook-Reinbeck on Friday night and the Class 1A state championship.

Mach Nyaw added 11 points and Bryce Crabb 10 for Grand View Christian (27-1), which has been open for only three years but already has become a force in small-school basketball. The Thunder lost only to Class 3A state tournament qualifier Pella and finished with 27 straight victories.

Joe Smoldt led Gladbrook-Reinbeck with 25 points but struggled early when Grand View Christian took control. Smoldt, averaging 30 points a game, missed his first seven shots and went 5-for-19 from the field.

Caden Kickbush, usually the No. 2 scorer for the Rebels (26-3), started 0-for-6 and scored only four points.