Grace Boffeli’s record effort pushes North Scott past Xavier at Rivalry Saturday

CEDAR RAPIDS — Maybe Tom Lilly would have thrown in a tweak here, a wrinkle there.

But here's what he couldn't have done. He couldn't have guarded Grace Boffeli.

Boffeli set a Rivalry Saturday scoring record with 34 points, and Class 4A top-ranked North Scott edged No. 5 Cedar Rapids Xavier, 59-55, in Saturday's girls' baskeyball finale at Kohawk Arena.

'We had no answer for her, obviously,' Xavier assistant coach Stephanie Potts said. 'We knew she was going to be a tough matchup. We figured if she scored 25, we'd be in good shape.'

A senior bound for Northern Iowa, Boffeli made 12 of 16 field-goal attempts and hit 10 of 11 from the free-throw line.

'Her physicality makes her a tough matchup,' Xavier guard Caitlynn Daniels said. 'If she doesn't make the first shot, she's going to make the second.'

The 34 points edged the old Rivalry Saturday record of 33, posted by Ally Jensen of Ballard on Jan. 19, 2008.

Potts received a text from Lilly, who missed his first game in 35 years of coaching, Saturday morning.

'He said he wasn't feeling well, and to be prepared to coach,' said Potts, his longtime assistant.

The defending 4A state champion, North Scott (2-0) led the whole way. But the Lancers weren't safe until Boffeli's final basket, in the final half-minute.

'We really wanted to pull out a win for (Lilly),' said Daniels, who scored 20 points for the Saints (0-2). 'We wanted to come in and prove that we're one of the best teams in the state.'

North Scott had its largest lead at 55-47 on the last of Samantha Scott's four 3-pointers, with 4:21 left.

But the Saints answered with two baskets by Aree Beckman and a transition hoop by Libby Arnold to cut it to 55-53 with 1:50 remaining. Aubrey Jones' two free throws got the Saints back witin two at 57-55 at the 0:47 mark, but Boffeli clinched it on the following possession.

Scott added 12 points — all in the second half — for the Lancers.

Arnold tallied 15 for Xavier; Beckmann and Jones tacked on nine apiece.

NORTH SCOTT 59, CEDAR RAPIDS XAVIER 55

At Kohawk Arena

NORTH SCOTT (59): Presley Case 1-9 1-2 3, Sydney Happel 1-3 2-2 5, Samantha Scott 4-9 0-0 12, Adriane Latham 0-3 1-2 1, Grace Boffeli 12-16 10-11 34, Brooke Kilburg 0-0 2-2 2, Hattie Hagedorn 0-2 0-0 0, Rachel Anderson 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 19-43 16-19 59.

C.R. XAVIER (55): Aree Beckmann 3-11 3-4 9, Caitlynn Daniels 8-17 1-1 20, Aubrey Jones 3-6 3-4 9, Libby Arnold 6-13 2-2 15, Julie Shoger 0-0 0-0 0, Maya Karl 0-3 0-0 0, Brielle Bastian 1-4 0-0 2, Mary Kate Moeder 0-5 0-0 0, Grace Reis 0-1 0-0 0, Lexi Turner 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 21-61 9-11 55.

Halftime: North Scott 30, Xavier 26. 3-point goals: North Scott 5-19 (Case 0-6, Happel 1-3, Scott 4-8, Hagedorn 0-2), Xavier 4-19 (Daniels 3-7, Arnold 1-3, Bastian 0-2, Moeder 0-2, Turner 0-1). Team fouls: North Scott 12, Xavier 21. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: North Scott 40 (Boffeli 11), Xavier 28 (Daniels, Arnold 5). Assists: North Scott 13 (Case 5), Xavier 5 (Daniels 3). Steals: North Scott 1 (Happel), Xavier 13 (Jones, Moeder 4). Turnovers: North Scott 17, Xavier 6.

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