Classy glass work sustains Iowa City West girls’ basketball at Cedar Rapids Xavier

CEDAR RAPIDS — Rebounding is a little bit talent, a little bit technique.

And it’s more than that.

“It’s effort,” Anna Prouty said. “It’s what you have to do.”

Prouty led Iowa City West’s effort on the boards, and the Class 5A fifth-ranked Trojans overcame 25 turnovers to fight past 4A No. 7 Cedar Rapids Xavier, 47-41, in a Mississippi Valley Conference girls’ basketball game Friday night at Ron Thillen Gymnasium.

“I think we just chilled out after the first half,” said Prouty, who posted 16 points and 15 rebounds. “Defense really helped us. Defense and rebounding.”

Especially rebounding. The Trojans (12-2 overall, 9-1 MVC) enjoyed a 42-23 advantage on the glass on their way to their fifth consecutive victory.

“They crunched us there,” Xavier Coach Tom Lilly said. “They had kids that did their jobs. We didn’t really get into a rhythm. No flow.”

Trailing 35-32 late in the third quarter, West held the Saints (11-6, 7-4) without a field goal for about nine minutes, embarking on a telling 11-0 run.

Prouty started it with an offensive rebound and putback.

“She has become a double-double,” West Coach B.J. Mayer said. “She brings the lunch pail every single game, and has really become an offensive threat.”

Xavier led throughout the first half, by as many as six points. It was 21-17 at halftime.

Prouty’s free throw gave West its first lead, 28-27, with 4:24 left in the third quarter. Kyla Mason led a 6-0 Xavier surge that put the Saints back up three, but the rest of the game belonged to the Trojans.

Meena Tate added 14 points, five rebounds and five assists. Melae Lacy snagged 10 boards.

Tate and Prouty combined to make 13 of 19 shots from the floor.

Freshman Libby Fandel paced Xavier with 12 points. Lexi Beier scored nine, Mary Kate Moeder eight.

Xavier accumulated 17 steals, but the Saints had some lengthy scoring droughts and shot 29 percent (14 of 49) from the floor.

“We didn’t have a lot of energy at the start, but the kids buckled down on defense,” Mayer said.

BOYS: WEST 46, XAVIER 40

Jacob Koch and Christian Barnes hit back-to-back 3-pointers to open the fourth quarter as part of a 14-0 West run.

The Trojans (10-2) trailed 27-21 late in the third quarter before surging. Barnes started the comeback with a 3-pointer and a bucket from the lane to close the period.

Peter Moe led West with 12 points. Barnes added 10.

Aidan Yamilkoski paced Xavier (8-7) with 16 points. The Saints led 12-4 after one quarter, 19-16 at halftime.

Iowa City West 47, Cedar Rapids Xavier 41

At C.R. Xavier

IOWA CITY WEST (47): Avery Vest 2-4 0-0 6, Meena Tate 6-8 1-2 14, Melae Lacy 1-5 0-2 2, Keiko Ono-Fullard 2-5 0-0 5, Anna Prouty 7-11 2-5 16, Lucy Wolf 1-3 0-0 2, Carolyn Pierce 1-3 0-1 2. Totals 20-39 3-10 47.

C.R. XAVIER (41): Maya Karl 0-2 0-0 0, Libby Fandel 5-14 0-1 12, Lexi Beier 3-8 0-0 9, Madi Steger 1-2 2-6 5, Mary Kate Moeder 3-7 1-3 8, Riley Jonker 1-3 0-0 2, Emma Arnold 0-2 0-0 0, Kyla Mason 1-8 3-4 5, Sydney Huber 0-2 0-0 0, Lexi Turner 0-1 0-0 0, Aaliyah Beier 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 14-49 6-14 41.

Iowa City West 8 9 17 13 — 47

C.R. Xavier 9 12 14 6 — 41

3-point goals: West 4-8 (Vest 2-3, Tate 1-1, Ono-Fullard 1-1), Xavier 7-17 (Fandel 2-5, L. Beier 3-5, Steger 1-1, Moeder 1-3, Mason 0-1, Huber 0-1, Turner 0-1). Team fouls: West 8, Xavier 12. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: West 42 (Prouty 15), Xavier 23 (Mason 5). Assists: West 10 (Tate 5), Xavier 6 (Karl, Moeder 2). Steals: West 8 (Tate, Prouty 3), Xavier 17 (L. Beier 4). Turnovers: West 25, Xavier 13.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com