Xavier’s youngsters stepping up

CEDAR RAPIDS - With every good team there are important leaders. But great teams consist of underclassmen who step up and make a big difference.

Lexi Noonan and Amelia Ivester are the underclassman who have taken on the challenge for the Cedar Rapids Xavier girls' basketball team this season.

Even though she is just a freshman, Ivester has played a fair amount and has the stats to prove it. In the first 18 games, she has 72 points and is averaging an impressive 46 percent from the field. Going along with her efficient offense, Ivester has led the Saints in blocks with 46 this season. She has more than two thirds of the team's blocks this year.

Noonan, a sophomore, also is contributing on the varsity team. She has had a solid year, getting considerable playing time in her first full year on varsity. Noonan has shot 50 percent from the field and had an even better year from the free throw line, shooting 73 percent. She has helped the team by consistently scoring the much needed free throws.

'The underclassmen have helped our team tremendously this year,” senior Lizzy Bailey said. 'It is great how they have stepped up to the varsity level and have had a positive impact on our team throughout this season.”

Staying out of foul trouble has kept Noonan in the games, committing only 18 fouls in 18 games. As a matter of fact, because Noonan has been able to stay in the game, she was able to score a game-winning shot against Linn-Mar on Jan. 27. The assist from senior Morgan Breitbach and the layup from Noonan gave the Saints the lead with two seconds left on the clock in a 38-36 win.

'As a team, our unselfishness on the court and our ball movement have really progressed throughout this season,” Noonan said. 'Personally, I think I have gotten a lot better at communicating with my teammates and finding the open player.”

The Saints host the (15-6) will host either Mount Pleasant or Clear Creek Amana on Saturday in a Class 4A regional semifinal, starting at 7 p.m.