Prairie tops Xavier, sets the stage for a Thursday MVC girls’ basketball showdown

CEDAR RAPIDS — At some point, this phrase become a thing, signifying an ability to drive with abandon to the basket:

Get downhill.

“That’s what (Coach) Kenyon (Murray) told us at halftime, ‘get downhill,’” Brynlie Hadenfeldt said. “Because if we got downhill, they couldn’t defend us.”

These days, there’s nothing downhill, figuratively, about the Cedar Rapids Prairie girls’ basketball program.

Using its trademark balance — nine kids played, nine kids scored — the Class 5A 10th-ranked Hawks set up a monster showdown by defeating Cedar Rapids Xavier, 58-47, Tuesday night in a Mississippi Valley Conference tussle at Prairie High School.

The Hawks (15-2 overall, 12-0 MVC) welcome No. 7 Cedar Falls (18-1, 12-0) on Thursday. The winner is guaranteed a share of the Mississippi Division championship.

Prairie’s last division title came in 2013.

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“We’ve got a lot on the line,” Hadenfeldt said. “We graduate so many great seniors. We want to do this for them.”

Hadenfeldt, a sophomore, registered 12 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Freshman guard KeaOnna Worley also scored 12 points and added three assists and three steals.

Despite a 5-foot-3 frame, Worley scored nine points in the fourth quarter, all on aggressive drives to the basket (the last of which was a three-point play).

You know, getting downhill.

“I work hard at it, focus on it, go up strong,” she said.

Worley entered Prairie with a strong AAU pedigree.

“This is different,” she said. “Way different from AAU. The atmosphere is different. I’ve just got to play hard.”

Prairie distanced itself from the Saints (7-13, 6-7) with a 15-2 surge to start the second half, turning a competitive 23-19 game into a far more comfortable 38-21 advantage.

Xavier got within 52-42 on the strength of a late burst from Libby Fandel, who led everybody with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Madden Wilson added 11.

But as is often the case this season, Prairie simply had more weapons. Asia Beale posted nine points and six rebounds. McKenna Murray added seven points, and made Fandel work with solid man-to-man defense.

Cedar Rapids Prairie 58, Cedar Rapids Xavier 47

At C.R. Prairie

C.R. XAVIER (47): Madden Wilson 4-11 1-2 11, Carley Jonker 2-4 2-2 6, Taylor Rexroth 1-4 0-0 2, Libby Fandel 6-16 7-8 22, Reese Komenda 1-9 0-0 3, Brooklyn Emerson 1-1 0-0 3, Cayleigh O’Brien 0-2 0-0 0, Jaselle Lang 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 15-47 10-12 47.

C.R. PRAIRIE (58): Nevaeh Diaz-Doolin 2-5 0-0 4, KeaOnna Worley 5-9 1-1 12, Brynlie Hadenfeldt 5-9 0-0 12, Emily Larsen 2-7 0-0 5, McKenna Murray 2-5 3-6 7, Asia Beale 3-10 3-6 9, Ryann Decker 0-4 1-4 1, DeLanee Seay 2-6 1-2 6, Catie Reittinger 0-3 2-2 2. Totals 21-58 11-21 58.

C.R. Xavier 9 10 11 17 — 47

C.R. Prairie 13 10 22 13 — 58

3-point goals: Xavier 7-23 (Wilson 2-6, Jonker 0-2, Rexroth 0-2, Fandel 3-7, Komenda 1-5, Emerson 1-1), Prairie 5-17 (Diaz-Doolin 0-1, Worley 1-2, Hadenfeldt 2-3, Larsen 1-3, Murray 0-1, Seay 1-5, Reittinger 0-2). Team fouls: Xavier 15, Prairie 14. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Xavier 33 (Fandel 10), Prairie 40 (Hadenfeldt, Larsen 7). Assists: Xavier 8 (Komenda 3), Prairie 9 (Worley, Hadenfeldt 3). Steals: Xavier 4 (Fandel 2), Prairie 10 (Worley 3). Turnovers: Xavier 13, Prairie 6.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com