No. 1 Xavier escapes Kennedy’s comeback bid, 56-50

CEDAR RAPIDS — Buzzer-beating drama no longer is limited to end-of-game and end-of-quarter situations.

Welcome to the shot-clock era in Iowa high school basketball.

A critical (and, as it turned out, correct) shot-clock call played a major role as Class 4A No. 1 Cedar Rapids Xavier escaped Cedar Rapids Kennedy’s upset bid, 56-50, in a Mississippi Valley Conference girls’ game Friday night at Kennedy High School.

With the Saints (3-0 overall, 1-0 MVC) leading 53-50, Lexi Turner banked home a 15-footer as the shot clock expired with 12 seconds left in the game.

The officials stopped play and huddled. Was it good? Was it late?

After a lengthy discussion, they counted the basket, which essentially clinched the outcome. Photo evidence (by The Gazette) later proved the call correct.

As a result, the Saints won their 12th consecutive game dating back to last season.

“Kennedy and Xavier have dogfights every time out,” Xavier Coach Tom Lilly said. “I told the kids it was going to be a battle.”

Xavier raced to an 18-point lead in the first half behind Aaliyah Beier, who came off the bench to make her first four 3-point attempts.

“The coaches believe in me, and I was getting good passes from my teammates,” said Beier, who scored all of her 14 points in the first half. “They were leaving me wide open.”

Lilly said, “Beier gave us a massive lift when (Kennedy) came out in a box-and-one. She earned the right to have the green light.”

Kennedy (0-3, 0-1) didn’t fold, though. Still down 14 points at halftime, the Cougars scored 10 in a row midway through the third quarter to pull within 38-34. Kaliyah Sain’s 3-pointer with 50 seconds left brought Kennedy within 53-50.

It was a big departure from a pair of lopsided losses in the Cougars’ first two games.

“Tonight, we played together and shared the basketball,” Kennedy Co-Coach Madi Meier said. “Sidney (Swartzendruber) might have been our MVP on the night.”

Swartzendruber shadowed and chased Xavier all-state sophomore Libby Fandel for the majority of the game. Fandel was scoreless for the first 27:44 and finished with four points.

But Beier and Kyla Mason picked up the slack. Mason led the Saints with 18 points and seven rebounds.

Sain paced Kennedy with 18 points. Ella Moser chipped in 14, and Addy Alber provided 12 points and nine boards.

Cedar Rapids Xavier 56, Cedar Rapids Kennedy 50

At C.R. Kennedy

CEDAR RAPIDS XAVIER (56): Emma Arnold 1-3 0-0 2, Libby Fandel 1-3 1-4 4, Sydney Huber 2-10 2-2 7, Kyla Mason 8-13 2-4 18, Lexi Turner 2-6 1-2 6, Madden Wilson 1-2 0-2 3, Aaliyah Beier 5-7 0-0 14, Taylor Rexroth 0-1 0-0 0, Reese Komenda 1-1 0-0 2, Carley Jonker 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-46 6-14 56.

CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY (50): Ella Moser 5-13 2-2 14, Sidney Swartzendruber 0-0 0-0 0, Lexi Moore 2-3 0-0 5, Addy Alber 6-10 0-0 12, Kaliyah Sain 7-20 2-3 18, Addison Swartzendruber 1-4 0-2 2, Grace Park 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-50 4-7 50.

C.R. Xavier 19 15 9 13 — 56

C.R. Kennedy 9 11 18 12 — 50

3-point goals: Xavier 8-17 (Fandel 1-1, Huber 1-5, Mason 0-1, Turner 1-3, Wilson 1-1, Beier 4-6), Kennedy 4-15 (Moser 2-6, Moore 0-1, Sain 2-6, A. Swartzendruber 0-2). Team fouls: Xavier 11, Kennedy 16. Fouled out: Moore. Rebounds: Xavier 30 (Mason 7), Kennedy 29 (Alber 9). Assists: Xavier 14 (Beier 4), Kennedy 8 (Sain 3). Steals: Xavier 8 (Fandel 4), Kennedy 9 (Sain 4). Turnovers: Xavier 17, Kennedy 16.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com