Inexperienced, but Cedar Rapids Washington winning anyway

CEDAR RAPIDS — One starter for this Cedar Rapids Washington boys’ basketball team played sparingly in only seven games last season, scoring two points.

Another starter also got into seven games, played sparingly in them and didn’t score at all. Yet another starter did the seven-game thing and mustered 15 points.

The leading returning scorer from last season averaged only 2.9 points per game. Right behind him was a kid who averaged 1.2.

This collection of Warriors isn’t necessarily young. Six seniors played a lot in Tuesday night’s 56-51 overtime win at Cedar Rapids Xavier.

But it’s inexperienced at the varsity level without question. And somehow carrying a 5-2 record into their final game before the holiday break, which is Friday night against Cedar Rapids Kennedy.

“I think some of these guys have waited their turn, so they are really excited about the challenge and for earning their spot,” said Washington Coach Justin Decker. “I know with our inexperience, we’re going to have some ups and downs. This was a big up.”

Washington took a lead midway through the second quarter and kept it until late in the fourth. Dominic D’Amico’s lane shot put Xavier (4-3) ahead, 41-40, with 3:25 to go and the teams went back and forth from there.

After a D’Amico free throw, Xavier had a 46-44 lead with 13 seconds left. The Saints fouled twice to kill time because they hadn’t hit the five-foul count for the quarter, taking the clock down to 6 seconds.

Washington’s Kwae China took an inbounds pass out front, got a screen, and streaked down the right side of the lane for a layup that barely beat the final buzzer and sent the game to overtime at 46s. It was a play the Warriors had tried earlier in the game that failed.

“I told Coach ”I want the ball. I’m going to do it this time,’“ said China, a senior guard. ”We got the screen, I kind of looked him off, had it playing in my head. I honestly thought I’d hit a game winner. I thought it was 47-46, which I why I came out all crazy. I had one play in my head. Drive, they close, and I kick it. Or drive, they don’t close, and I get a layup.“

Landyn Mitvalsky hit a huge 3-pointer to start overtime, and J.J. Willis added a transition layup for 51-46 Washington lead. Xavier could never quite get back even.

Willis led Washington with 19 points, China had 16 and Mitvalsky 13. The Warriors were able to hold their own against a much-bigger Xavier team, in part to a quickness advantage that, among other things, turned the Saints over 24 times.

Xavier also went 5 for 11 from the free-throw line. Guard Kaleb Wilgenbusch led the Saints with 16 points.

“That was amazing,” Mitvalsky said. “We’re just working hard and trusting each other. We’ve been working all summer. We knew we had a lot of shoes to fill, but we were working all summer together at camps and stuff like that. Just believing in each other. Our coaches have gotten us ready for every game. We’ve been pretty prepared for every game so far.”

“To be honest, the grit that we’ve shown and the growth that we’ve shown just as a young team has been (outstanding),” said Decker. “They’re not young, but they just don’t have a lot of experience. To win a game like this, in overtime, on the road against a really good team, that really helps. We’re getting better. That’s the biggest thing.”

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AT CEDAR RAPIDS XAVIER

CEDAR RAPIDS WASHINGTON (56): Monty Beard 0-0 0-0 0, David Fason 2-9 1-2 6, Miles Lapointe 0-2 0-0 0, Landyn Mitvalsky 5-13 1-1 13, Kwae China 8-15 0-0 16, J.J. Willis 8-19 3-4 19, Yealeseh Amah 1-4 0--0 2, Colton Eilers 0-0 0-0 0, Preston Haefner 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-62 5-7 56.

CEDAR RAPIDS XAVIER (51): A.J. Evans 5-12 0-1 10, Tyler Netolicky 2-4 1-4 5, Dominic D’Amico 2-9 1-2 6, Kaleb Wilgenbusch 7-15 1-2 16, Zander Murray 3-12 0-0 8, Lorenzo Pino 0-4 0-0 0, Preston Lang 1-2 2-2 4, Aiden Miller 0-1 0-0 0, Lee Gamez 0-0 0-0 0, Jack Downey 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 21-61 5-11 51.

Halftime — Washington 21, Xavier 18. End of Regulation — Washington 46, Xavier 46. 3-point goals — Washington 3-14 (Fason 1-6, Lapointe 0-1, Mitvalsky 2-4, China 0-1, Willis 0-1, Amah 0-1), Xavier 4-18 (D’Amico 1-5, Wilgenbusch 1-1, Murray 2-8, Pino 0-3, Lang 0-1). Rebounds — Washington 35 (Fason 8), Xavier 41 (Netolicky 12). Total fouls — Washington 14, Xavier 14. Fouled out — None. Turnovers — Washington 16, Xavier 24.

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