A 1-win team last year, Cedar Rapids Washington continues to grow

CEDAR RAPIDS — Last year, Chris James said, this team wouldn’t have recovered.

“We still go through those lulls in which we have trouble making shots,” said James, girls’ basketball coach at Cedar Rapids Washington. “But now, we’ve improved our maturity and mental toughness.”

And that got Cedar Rapids Washington through Friday’s crossroads.

Sophomore Samantha Becker registered 23 points, 12 rebounds and four steals, and her series of fourth-quarter free throws sent the Warriors past Class 4A No. 15 Western Dubuque, 58-48, in a Mississippi Valley Conference encounter.

“That first half was the best we’ve ever played. We knew where each other were,” Becker said, referring to a 36-19 halftime lead.

Then came that lull. The Warriors (4-7 overall, 2-2 MVC) went scoreless throughout the first 7 minutes, 43 seconds of the second half, and Western Dubuque (7-5, 2-2) rallied within a point.

The Bobcats were within 36-35, then 38-37, then 40-39. But Becker scored on a drive, then Lily Belle Barker added a basket and a 3-pointer to increase the margin back to eight.

“We remembered what we had done in the first half,” Becker said. “We just looked back at that.”

And the Warriors regrouped.

This was a matchup of two teams vastly improved from a year ago. Washington won only one game; Western Dubuque just five — and two of those were in the postseason.

“We let a couple get away from us just before the (holiday) break,” James said. “We’ve really got to stress the next four, five, six games, because we’ve got a chance to make a push.”

Both teams have a chance to be factors in the MVC Valley Division. The Warriors looked every bit like contenders in the first half.

A 19-1 run to conclude the first quarter sparked them to a lead that grew as large as 19 points, with Becker and freshman Elsionna Westerfield combining for 20 first-half points.

Westerfield added 13 points. Barker counted nine points, six rebounds and four assists.

Becker made 12 of 13 from the line, and her dozen rebounds came with a 5-foot-8 frame.

“I’m usually a rebounder,” she said. “I think it’s fun, even though I’m a little smaller.”

Karrington Asp, a junior and a North Dakota State commit, led Western Dubuque with 13 points. Kaitlyn Thole added 11. But the Bobcats couldn’t covercome 27-percent shooting, including 4-of-26 from long range.

Cedar Rapids Washington 58, Western Dubuque 48

At C.R. Washington

WESTERN DUBUQUE (48): Brooklyn Firzlaff 1-4 2-2 4, Carson Koerperich 1-16 5-6 8, Hailey Wulfekuhle 2-5 1-2 5, Kaitlyn Thole 5-12 0-0 11, Karrington Asp 5-15 3-3 13, Lucy Ehlers 1-5 0-0 3, Allie Soppe 1-2 1-2 4, Hannah Hoefer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 16-59 12-15 48.

C.R. WASHINGTON (58): Samantha Becker 5-12 12-13 23, JaeCis Wright 0-3 0-0 0, Lily Belle Barker 3-10 2-4 9, Hailey Becker 1-2 0-2 2, Lillie Dostal 2-2 0-3 4, Elsionna Westerfield 6-10 0-0 13, Ava Sales 2-8 3-6 7, Jamiah Malone 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-47 17-28 58.

Western Dubuque 5 14 16 13 — 48

C.R. Washington 19 17 2 20 — 58

3-point goals: Western Dubuque 4-26 (Firzlaff 0-2, Koerperich 1-8, Wulfekuhle 0-2, Thole 1-4, Asp 0-4, Ehlers 1-5, Soppe 1-2), Washington 3-15 (S. Becker 1-5, Wright 0-2, Barker 1-6, Westerfield 1-2). Team fouls: Western Dubuque 26, Washington 17. Fouled out: Firzlaff, Dostal. Rebounds: Western Dubuque 36 (Koerperich 10, Washington 43 (S. Becker 12). Assists: Western Dubuque 7 (Wulfekuhle 3), Washington 7 (Barker 4). Steals: Western Dubuque 9 (Koerperich 4), Washington 9 (S. Becker 4). Turnovers: Western Dubuque 11, Washington 14.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com