Kennedy wins 10th straight

CEDAR RAPIDS — It's been five years since a Metro girls' basketball team has assembled a streak hotter and longer than this.

Lela Sellers posted 26 points as Class 5A fourth-ranked Cedar Rapids Kennedy held off 4A No. 9 North Scott, 52-46, Saturday night at Kennedy High School for the Cougars' 10th consecutive win.

'It's a nice accomplishment; it's something we'll look at after the season,' said Cougars Coach Tony Vis. 'Right now, we're just enjoying the process, focusing on winning one at a time.'

The last double-digit win streak by a Metro team was Linn-Mar's 36-game run from 2009 into 2011. The current streak is Kennedy's best since opening the 2009-10 season with 11 in a row.

Kennedy (10-1) needed all that Sellers and crew could muster, because the Lancers (8-1) have a gem of their own in junior Karli Rucker, a UNI commitment.

Rucker tallied 27 points, including the last 17 for North Scott.

'She's a good player, quick off the dribble,' Sellers said. 'They set a lot of good screens for her.'

Sydney Hayden's 3-pointer gave Kennedy its largest lead at 39-27 late in the third quarter. North Scott drew within four points on a pair of occasions in the fourth quarter, but the Cougars held on.

Hailey Dolphin's baseline trey ended the drama at 50-42 with 55 seconds left.

A talented sophomore, Dolphin sprained an ankle in the second quarter. Her late dagger gave her nine points Saturday.

'I just kind of tweaked it,' she said. 'I'll be putting a lot of ice on it tonight.'

The Cougars' focus shifts toward Tuesday's MVC Valley Division showdown at home against Linn-Mar. Both teams are unbeaten in conference play.

'I'm not going to say it's just another game,' Vis said. 'I just hope we can come out and play relaxed.'

Sellers said, 'I'm excited. It's my (18th) birthday, and it's a big game. We'll be ready. We'll play hard. Defense will win the game.'

Sellers, who connected on 10 of 18 shots from the floor, converted a three-point play that capped a six-point Kennedy run and put the Cougars in front, 10-6. They didn't trail the rest of the way.

Kennedy led, 27-21, at halftime. Sellers scored the Cougars' first nine points of the second half, then shared the spotlight with Rucker the rest of the way.

The Cougars shot a very respectable 49 percent from the floor, hitting 18 of 37 shots, and turned it over just eight times.

Hannah Moeller added nine points for the Lancers.

CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY 52, NORTH SCOTT 46

At C.R. Kennedy

NORTH SCOTT (46): Rylie Rucker 0-3 1-2 1, Karli Rucker 9-20 5-6 27, Savannah Bogner 1-6 0-0 3, Olivia Schmidt 1-6 0-0 3, Rylee Claussen 1-2 1-2 3, Hannah Moeller 4-4 0-0 9, Erica Loussaert 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 16-45 7-10 46.

C.R. KENNEDY (52): Carly Langhurst 2-2 3-4 7, Sydney Hayden 1-6 2-2 5, Lela Sellers 10-18 5-9 26, Hailey Dolphin 3-5 2-5 9, Linden Runels 0-3 0-0 0, Ashley Hamilton 2-2 0-0 5, Olivia Hellweg 0-0 0-0 0, Kendal Meier 0-1 0-0 0, Alana Steele 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 18-37 12-20 52.

Halftime: Kennedy 27, North Scott 21. 3-point goals: North Scott 7-23 (R.Rucker 0-2, K.Rucker 4-10, Bogner 1-4, Schmidt 1-4, Moeller 1-1, Loussart 0-2), Kennedy 4-13 (Hayden 1-5, Sellers 1-3, Dolphin 1-2, Runels 0-1, Hamilton 1-1, Meier 0-1). Team fouls: North Scott 17, Kennedy 12. Fouled out: Moeller. Rebounds: North Scott 28 (Bogner 6), Kennedy 23 (Dolphin 6). Assists: North Scott 6 (R.Rucker, Bogner 2), Kennedy 6 (Sellers 2). Steals: North Scott 4 (K.Rucker 3), Kennedy 7 (Langhurst, Hayden, Dolphin 2). Turnovers: North Scott 11, Kennedy 8.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com