Rivalry Saturday 2024: Cedar Rapids Prairie 59, Sioux City Heelan 54

CEDAR RAPIDS — How’s that for a debut?

Emily Larsen knocked down five first-half 3-pointers and scored 19 points, and Class 5A seventh-ranked Cedar Rapids Prairie held off 4A No. 1 Sioux City Heelan, 59-54, at Rivalry Saturday at Johnson Hall.

“We needed to get them out of that 1-3-1 (zone),” Larsen said. “It feels really good to start the season like this. It shows what we can do when we play our ‘A’ game.”

The outcome made a winner out of first-year Prairie coach Bruce Dall, who came to the Metro after winning four consecutive 2A state titles at Dike-New Hartford.

“I’m excited because of the new challenge at a 5A school, beating the No. 1 team in 4A,” Dall said. “All of the credit goes to the kids, the way they’ve come to practice.

“(Heelan) put in a 1-3-1 in which their smallest girl is 5-foot-10, that would beat a lot of Division-III (college) schools.”

Prairie (1-0) played a dreamy first quarter — the Hawks led 21-6 after eight minutes — and fought through game-long foul challenges.

Back-to-back buckets by Asia Beale gave the Hawks a 54-40 lead at the midpoint of the fourth quarter. Heelan (1-1) charged back and got within four points twice in the closing seconds.

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Larsen hit four 3-pointers in the first quarter alone. Her five treys was one shy of the Rivalry Saturday record.

“We expect that,” Beale said. “Obviously, she’s a great shooter.”

Beale added 11 points, Brynlie Hadenfeldt nine.

Sophomore Melina Snoozy led Heelan with 19 points. Trishelle Miller added 18.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com