Libby Fandel’s record night helps send Xavier past Liberty, 53-45

CEDAR RAPIDS — Tom Lilly generally isn’t one to hammer game film over his team’s collective head.

He made an exception this time.

“I showed this one three times,” he said.

Message received.

Libby Fandel scored a school-record 34 points and played a brilliant all-around floor game, and Cedar Rapids Xavier defeated Iowa City Liberty, 53-45, in a Mississippi Valley Conference girls’ basketball game Friday night at Ron Thillen Gymnasium.

“(AAU club team All-Iowa) Attack is really big on being aggressive defensively, and that helped a lot tonight,” Fandel said.

And it’s not like she was hunting points just for the sake of scoring.

“First and foremost, just wanted to win the game,” she said. “The last time we played (Liberty), we lost by a lot (61-41 on Dec. 22, which prompted Lilly’s film repetition).

“This team had definitely grown a lot.”

Fandel made 15 of 29 shots from the floor. Her jumper with 2:25 remaining gave Xavier (5-8 overall, 3-5 MVC) a 49-45 lead, and pushed her past former teammate Kyla Mason’s old school mark of 31 points, set last season.

She also posted nine rebounds, four assists and five steals. Four of those steals, from the top of the Saints’ 1-1-3 zone, she converted into first-half layups.

“I think she got a lot of confidence, getting her hands on the ball and getting some easy baskets,” Lilly said.

Said Fandel, a 6-foot guard: “I was using my length.”

Fandel didn’t do it alone. Sophomore Madden Wilson added 11 points.

Wilson tore an ACL in August and made an uncommonly fast recovery. She was playing in her fourth game this season.

“A miracle,” Lilly said. “We’ve got to be careful with her minutes, but when it’s close, she’s on the floor.”

Fandel scored Xavier’s first 16 points, and had 20 by halftime.

Sophomore Natalie Ramsey led Liberty (5-8, 3-5) with 17 points and eight rebounds.

The Lightning scored six straight points for a 17-16 lead midway through the second quarter, but Xavier answered with eight in a row and maintained a slim lead the rest of the way.

Boys: Liberty 56, Xavier 47

Trey Hughes scored 14 of his game-high 22 points in the fourth quarter, and the Lightning pulled away late.

Trey Williams converted a three-point play with 3:35 remaining to break a 40-40 tie.

With Liberty (5-7) leading 46-44, Hughes scored back-to-back baskets for some breathing room.

Dominic D'Amico led Xavier (7-7) with 14 points.

Girls box score: Cedar Rapids Xavier 53, Iowa City Liberty 45

At C.R. Xavier

IOWA CITY LIBERTY (45): Bella Tafolla 2-7 2-2 7, Haley Schroeder 0-5 1-2 1, Natalie Ramsey 5-10 5-6 17, Madeline Casey 2-9 1-1 5, Kennedy Goodheart 2-11 0-0 5, Janessa Mosley 2-5 2-2 7, Ava Casey 1-3 0-0 3, Sydney Van Heukelom 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 14-50 11-13 45.

C.R. XAVIER (53): Madden Wilson 4-13 0-0 11, Taylor Rexroth 2-4 0-0 4, Libby Fandel 15-29 2-2 34, Ava Turner 0-3 1-2 1, Reese Komenda 1-6 1-4 3, Brooklyn Emerson 0-0 0-0 0, Jaselle Lang 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 22-59 4-8 53.

Iowa City Liberty 11 13 11 10 -- 45

C.R. Xavier 12 14 14 13 -- 53

3-point goals: Liberty 6-30 (Tafolla 1-5, Schroeder 0-2, Ramsey 2-4, M. Casey 0-7, Goodheart 1-7, Mosley 1-2, A. Casey 1-3), Xavier 5-28 (Wilson 3-8, Rexroth 0-2, Fandel 2-10, Turner 0-2, Komenda 0-4, Lang 0-2). Team fouls: Liberty 8, Xavier 11. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Liberty 37 (Ramsey 8), Xavier 38 (Fandel 9). Assists: Liberty 9 (M. Casey 3), Xavier 10 (Fandel 4). Steals: Liberty 6 (six with 1), Xavier 14 (Fandel 5). Turnovers: Liberty 18, Xavier 11.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com