Monday’s Class 3A boys’ basketball substate finals

Cedar Rapids Xavier plays at Decorah and Solon at top-ranked Clear Lake in substate finals

Mar. 2, 2025 3:51 pm

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Here is Monday’s schedule for Class 3A substate final boys’ basketball games.

That includes an in-depth look at games involving Gazette-area schools Decorah, Cedar Rapids Xavier and Solon.

Class 3A Substate Finals

Cedar Rapids Xavier (14-9) at No. 2 Decorah (22-1)

Where: Decorah
When: 7 p.m.
Synopsis: Not an easy draw at all for second-ranked Decorah. Obviously don’t be fooled by Xavier’s overall record, as it plays in the primarily Class 4A Mississippi Valley Conference. In fact, the Saints are 7-0 this season against 3A opponents ... There are common opponents here. Decorah beat Dubuque Hempstead by 16, Western Dubuque by 30, Cedar Rapids Washington by 12, and Dubuque Wahlert by 12. Its lone loss was to Cedar Rapids Prairie by five ... Xavier beat Washington twice by 20-plus points, Western Dubuque by 36, Hempstead by 39 and Wahlert twice, including by five in the substate semifinals. It lost to Prairie by 15, though three starters were out ill ... Xavier’s three primary scorers are junior guard Zander Murray (14.3 ppg), senior guard Kaleb Wilgenbusch (13.0 ppg) and 6-foot-8 junior center A.J. Evans (11.2 ppg). He’ll have a tough matchup (or vice versa) against 6-10 Decorah junior center Cael LaFrentz (30.0 ppg, 12.7 rpg), who had a school-record 44 points in his team’s substate win over Independence. Senior point guard Zach Driscoll (20.8 ppg, 7.6 assists per game) might be the Vikings’ most important player ... Xavier has qualified for state seven times, the last time in 2018. It won back-to-back 3A championships in 2016 and 2017. Decorah is seeking its fifth state qualification. It went in 1972, 1977, 2022 and last season, when it lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Davenport Assumption.

Solon (18-5) at No. 1 Clear Lake (23-0)

Where: Clear Lake
When: 7 p.m.
Synopsis: Ya never know. If LaPorte City Union Community’s upset win over No. 2 Carroll Kuemper in Saturday’s Class 2A substate finals proved anything, it’s that. No question Solon is a prohibitive underdogs in this game against an undefeated Clear Lake team that has beaten its opponents by an average of 31.6 points a game. Solon, meanwhile, has needed late-game heroics to win both of its previous two substate games: by three points over Benton Community and in overtime against Nevada in the semifinals. The Spartans have won eight games in a row, however, and 15 of 16. ... Senior guard Caleb Bock leads Solon in scoring at 14.3 points per game and rebounding (7.8 per game). ... Clear Lake averages 74.6 points per game. Its leading scorer and rebounder is 6-6 senior forward Thomas Meyer 16.9 and 7.8, respectively ... Solon’s last state tournament appearance was 2016. It won a 2A championship in 2009 and was runner-up in 2010. Clear Lake has been a state qualifier five times, the last in 2021.

Other Games Around The State

Des Moines Christian (18-5) at No. 4 Huxley Ballard (20-2), 7 p.m.
DeWitt Central (12-11) at Davenport Assumption (13-10), 7 p.m.
Gilbert (15-8) at No. 5 Storm Lake (21-1), 7 p.m.
Keokuk (17-7) at No. 3 Knoxville (23-0), 7 p.m.
No. 9 Pella (18-6) at No. 7 Adel-DeSoto-Minburn (20-4), 7 p.m.
Sioux City Heelan (11-12) at No. 8 MOC/Floyd Valley (19-4), 7 p.m.

Comments: (319)-398-8258, jeff.johnson@thegazette.com

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