Balanced Xavier digs in, holds off DeWitt Central in girls’ state basketball quarterfinals

DES MOINES — This wasn’t your typical wire-to-wire breather.

No, the Xavier Saints couldn’t truly exhale until the very final seconds.

Fifth-ranked Cedar Rapids Xavier led from start to finish, but it took a big pass from Maddie Steger and a huge basket by Kyla Mason to finally spring the Saints free. Three late free throws enabled the Saints to get past No. 7 DeWitt Central, 62-55, in a Class 4A quarterfinal at the girls’ state basketball tournament Tuesday afternoon at Wells Fargo Arena.

“I’m just overjoyed, blessed,” Mary Kate Moeder said. “We’ve worked so hard for this moment.”

» Photos: Cedar Rapids Xavier vs. DeWitt Central in 4A state quarterfinals

With 14 points, Mason led a balanced attack — eight Saints scored, four in double figures — and Xavier (18-6) advanced to face No. 1 Dallas Center-Grimes (21-3) in the semifinal round at 5 p.m. Thursday.

“Even when it got down to two points, we knew we could pull it out if we kept our composure,” Mason said. “We needed to make a play and hit some free throws.”

Mason took care of the first part.

Central (19-5) relied on a full-court press to cut a 57-50 deficit (at 3:24) to 57-55 (at 0:58).

But the Saints ran their offense, Steger got the ball at the high post and found Mason wide open under the hook.

Mason converted, and the stress level dropped.

Moeder got a steal and drew a foul with 25 seconds left, making one of two free thows for a 60-55 advantage.

The Saints got another stop, and Steger hit two clinching free throws.

“A very exciting game, but maybe not from a coaching perspective,” Xavier Coach Tom Lilly said. “We held on, made free throws and did what we needed to do.”

Heroes were in no short supply for the victors. Mason made 7 of 11 shots for her 14-point output and grabbed seven rebounds.

Libby Fandel accumulated 12 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals. Moeder scored 11 points, Steger 10.

With Xavier clinging to a 53-50 lead, Fandel had a huge sequence. First, she curled in a runner from the right block. Then, she stole the inbounds pass and located Mason under the basket for a 57-50 advantage with 3:24 to go.

“I got the ball at the right place and the right time,” said Fandel, a freshman with unlimited upside.

“This was very, very fun. When we get going, we get going.”

But again, the Sabers refused to fold.

“We’ve been in so many games in the (Mississippi Athletic Conference),” Central’s Allison Meadows said. “We kept our heads and played our butts off, but we couldn’t get that final push at the end.

“You’ve got to give Xavier a lot of credit. They’re a great team with a lot of weapons.”

That’s for sure.

“You have to defend every person on the floor for us,” Fandel said. “Not many teams have enough defenders to do it.”

The margin was like a rubber band. Xavier would stretch it, but it never snapped.

The Saints went up 17-8, then took their largest lead at 27-16. But the Sabers were within 34-29 at halftime.

It was 39-31, then 39-36. It was 44-36, then 46-42.

“(The Sabers were) so aggressive,” Lilly said. “Maybe we were a smidge tired at the end.”

But Steger found Mason, and Mason found the net, and the Saints made those final foul shots.

Meadows paced Central with 18 points. Freshman Lauren Walker tallied 16, Taylor Veach 10.

Cedar Rapids Xavier 62, DeWitt Central 55

Class 4A State Quarterfinal, at Des Moines

DE WITT CENTRAL (55): Allison Meadows 6-11 5-7 18, Emma Grace Hartman 0-0 0-0 0, Kylee DeVore 2-2 3-8 7, Lauren Walker 6-8 2-2 16, Taylor Veach 2-10 6-6 10, Reagan Hofer 1-2 1-2 4, Hannah Palzkill 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 17-34 17-25 55.

C.R. XAVIER (62): Maya Karl 1-1 0-1 2, Libby Fandel 4-10 3-5 12, Lexi Beier 2-5 0-0 6, Maddie Steger 3-7 2-2 10, Mary Kate Moeder 3-5 3-4 11, Emma Arnold 0-0 0-0 0, Riley Jonker 1-3 1-1 3, Sydney Huber 0-1 0-0 0, Kyla Mason 7-11 0-0 14, Lexi Turner 2-6 0-0 4. Totals 23-49 9-13 62.

DeWitt Central 14 15 13 13 — 55

C.R. Xavier 19 15 14 14 — 62

3-point goals: Central 4-10 (Meadows 1-3, Walker 2-2, Veach 0-3, Hofer 1-1, Palzkill 0-1), Xavier 7-19 (Fandel 1-5, Beier 2-4, Steger 2-3, Moeder 2-4, Turner 0-3). Team fouls: Central 13, Xavier 16. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Central 23 (Veach 5), Xavier 26 (Fandel 7). Assists: Central 7 (Meadows 3), Xavier 17 (Fandel 5). Steals: Central 5 (Walker, Hofer 2), Xavier 8 (Fandel 4). Turnovers: Central 11, Xavier 9.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com