‘Game for the ages’ for Courtney Joens

CEDAR RAPIDS - A balky knee slows Courtney Joens somewhat.

But that stroke, there's nothing wrong with that stroke.

Joens established single-game school records for points (42) and 3-point goals (eight) as Iowa City High handled Class 5A eighth-rated Cedar Rapids Kennedy, 76-59, in a Mississippi Valley Conference girls' basketball game Friday night at Kennedy High School.

'She was unbelievable,” said Kennedy Coach Tony Vis. 'I don't think I've seen a player have a performance like that, and I've seen a lot of good players.

'She had a game for the ages.”

A junior who has orally committed to the University of Illinois, Joens was spellbinding. She took only 15 shots from the floor, making 12. She missed her first 3-point attempt, but made her next eight. And after Kennedy began to hone in on her outside shot, she starting to drive with equal effectiveness.

'After my first make, I was feeling like I was really on,” Joens said. 'So I kept shooting.”

Even more remarkable, this was only the second game this season in which Joens has played. She suffered a torn tendon in her right patella, plus minor damage to her MCL in a mishap during AAU ball in October.

Surgery was not required. But patience was.

'At first, I didn't think it was a big deal,” said Joens, who wore a brace Friday under a protective sleeve. 'But the doctor wanted to do an MRI. I'm just glad it wasn't more major.”

Joens hit four treys in a 6 1/2-minute, 31-8 eruption that turned the game around. The Little Hawks (3-1 overall, 2-0 MVC) trailed by as many as seven points early, but stormed to an 18-point lead before settling for a 46-32 halftime advantage.

Lela Sellers scored a pair of baskets to start the second half as Kennedy (2-1, 1-1) got within 10, then Joens re-emerged with a flourish at the end of the third quarter.

'I didn't expect her to play nearly that much,” said City Coach Bill McTaggart. 'I kept saying, ‘You all right? You all right?'”

She was more than all right.

'My teammates had a lot to do with it,” Joens said. 'They gave it to me while I was hot.”

Joens' freshman sister, Ashley, added 19 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Ashley averaged 25.3 points per game as the Little Hawks kept the ship afloat in Courtney's absence.

Sellers, an ESPN top-60 junior who moved to Cedar Rapids from Minneapolis last summer, led the Cougars with 18 points before fouling out. Stephanie Botkin added 15, Sydney Hayden 13, Abby Hellweg 10.

Kennedy is at Pleasant Valley on Saturday. City High is at Dubuque Wahlert on Tuesday.

IOWA CITY HIGH 76, CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY 59

At C.R. Kennedy

IOWA CITY HIGH (76): Sarah Plock 1-5 0-0 2, Sara Blowers 0-4 2-2 2, Ashley Joens 5-9 8-10 19, Samantha Blowers 1-3 0-0 3, Kenya Earl1-3 3-4 6, Courtney Joens 12-15 10-13 42, Sydney Schroder 0-2 0-0 0, Lillian Christopherson 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 21-43 23-29 76.

C.R. KENNEDY (59): Sydney Hayden 4-8 2-4 13, Lela Sellers 7-12 3-4 18, Abby Hellweg 4-10 2-5 10, Linden Runels 0-1 0-0 0, Steohanie Botkin 6-8 3-3 15, Ashley Hamilton 0-5 0-1 0, Kendal Meier 0-2 1-2 1, Katelyn Dye 1-2 0-0 2, Lauren Meyer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-48 11-19 59.

Halftime: City 46, Kennedy 32. 3-point goals: City 11-20 (Plock 0-1, Sara Blowers 0-2, A.Joens 1-3, Sam Blowers 1-2, Earl 1-1, C.Joens 8-9, Schroder 0-2), Kennedy 4-16 (Hayden 3-7, Sellers 1-2, Hellweg 0-3, Hamilton 0-3, Meier 0-1). Team fouls: City 18, Kennedy 24. Rebounds: City 28 (A.Joens 8), Kennedy 29 (Sellers, Botkin 6). Assists: City 10 (A.Joens 4), Kennedy 11 (Hellweg 4). Steals: City 13 (Sara Blowers 4), Kennedy 9 (Sellers 4). Turnovers: City 16, Kennedy 20.

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