Davenport Assumption proves to be too much for Marion in boys’ basketball substate final

CEDAR RAPIDS — They look the part. No doubt about that.

These Davenport Assumption Knights are long. They have quickness. They have athleticism. They have a point guard who appears to run the show with aplomb.

They have a legit shot to go to Des Moines next week and win a Class 3A boys’ state basketball championship. No doubt.

“Second-best team we played this season, behind Cedar Rapids Kennedy,” said Marion Coach Pete Messerli, after ninth-ranked Assumption roughed up his sixth-ranked Wolves, 63-32, in a 3A substate final Monday night at Alliant Energy PowerHouse. “They’re long and athletic. They reminded me a lot of City High, who we played. I know they struggled this year, but they just crushed us. But this was a longer, more talented squad (at Assumption) ... They’re a good defensive team, they talk well. I mean, the things that you need to be good, unfortunately they did tonight.”

Like play defense on Marion’s shooters, and get out in transition on offense. Point guard Damyen Jackson led Assumption (16-8) with 14 points, but this was a balanced affair offensively.

Navon Shabazz had 12 points, Kayvion Hodges 12 points, including three impressive dunks, Braylen Thomsen had 10 points.

“Shutting the opponent’s team down. Holding them to 30-some points,” Jackson said. “The harder we play defense, the easier our offense is.”

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Assumption went through the grind of a mostly 4A Mississippi Athletic Conference, which explains its loss total.

“Our conference was way harder than their conference was,” Shabazz said. “It’s not really debatable. That game was very fun. I’m very happy for us.”

Marion (18-6) hung around the first half, getting out to a 7-2 lead very early, falling down by three after the first quarter and a manageable 10 at halftime. But a Shabazz 3-pointer started the second half for Assumption, then Hodges scored in transition.

It had gotten away from the Wolves.

“Defensively we have been really good in the postseason,” said Assumption Coach Joe Ewen. “The college court here definitely helps us.“

Senior guard Jordan Fischer was the only Marion player to provide any sort of consistent offense in this one. He had 13 points, including hitting a pair of treys.

The Wolves were just 11 of 41 from the field, and seven of those 11 makes were 3-pointers. Room inside was limited for senior center Kylar Whitman, Marion’s leading scorer who was held to five points.

Despite this game, Marion needn’t hang its collective head. This was basically an entirely new team from the one that played the previous two years in the state tournament.

Eighteen wins and a spot in the substate finals makes this a tremendous season.

“This was a hard-working, competitive group that was very proud,” Messerli said. “They absolutely overachieved this year. It was a joy to coach them.”

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Photos: Marion vs. Davenport Assumption in Class 3A boys’ basketball substate final

Davenport Assumption 63, Marion 32

AT ALLIANT ENERGY POWERHOUSE

DAVENPORT ASSUMPTION (63): Joey Funderburk 1-3 2-2 4, Kayvion Hodges 5-6 2-2 12, Navon Shabazz 4-9 2-2 12, Damyen Jackson 5-15 2-6 14, Braelyn Thomsen 5-9 0-2 10, Isiah Rose 0-2 0-0 0, Joe Tallman 0-0 0-0 0, Elijah King 3-5 0-0 7, Isaac Langrehr 0-0 0-0 0, Mikey Stieger 1-2 0-0 2, Connor Ewen 0-0 2-2 2, Michael Lynch 0-0 0-0 0, Brady Curoe 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-51 10-16 63.

MARION (32): Grayson Kirsch 2-5 0-0 6, Kylar Whitman 2-7 0-0 5, Jordan Fischer 5-8 1-2 13, Josh Noll 1-6 0-0 3, Austin Goodrich 1-9 1-1 4, Tyler Farber 0-1 0-0 0, Tait Rahe 0-0 0-0 0, Kaleb Diers 0-1 1-2 1, Brooks Coates 0-1 0-0 0, Jaryn Griffith 0-2 0-0 0, Logan Harris 0-1 0-0 0, Aden Nicholls 0-0 0-0 0, Daegon Michaels 0-0 0-0 0, Caden Kinzenbaw 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 11-41 3-6 32.

Halftime - Assumption 28, Marion 18. 3-point goals - Assumption 5-15 (Shabazz 2-3, Funderburk 0-1, Jackson 2-5, Thomsen 0-3, Rose 0-1, King 1-2), Marion 7-21 (Kirsch 2-2, Whitman 1-2, Fischer 2-5, Noll 1-4, Goodrich 1-5, Coates 0-1, Griffith 0-2). Rebounds - Assumption 35 (Hodges 9), Marion 21 (Whitman 4). Total fouls - Assumption 12, Marion 12. Fouled out - None. Turnovers - Assumption 8, Marion 17.

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