Strong second half lifts Cedar Rapids Prairie past Bettendorf in Class 4A boys’ basketball substate semifinal

CEDAR RAPIDS - His team threw a hell of a first punch in this Class 4A substate semifinal boys’ basketball game Friday night.

Then he watched the opposing team throw an even more hellacious punch in the second quarter to take a halftime lead.

Yet Cedar Rapids Prairie head coach Todd Kuntz said he could not have been more confident about how the rest of the game against Bettendorf would go as he walked out of his team’s locker room and back to the court. He knew his boys would come through.

He was that confident.

“We felt really, really good at halftime,” Kuntz said after Prairie’s 72-60 win. “We were down three, but they were 6 of 10 from 3 ... We just felt a sense of calmness and confidence. And I think for a younger team that’s impressive. But that’s been us all year. We all know this. When you love each other, and you trust each other ... with this group, I can’t even begin to tell you how special they are in that fact that every day in that locker room is a joy. It is. There is no selfishness. It’s just a bunch of people that love each other and stick together.

“They just show it over and over and over. No matter how young they are, there’s nothing that fazes them. I looked at everyone’s eyes at halftime, and I felt great coming out of the locker room. I felt like we’d win the game.”

Which they did. The Hawks (19-4) got a go-head 3-pointer from Jace McDermott midway through the third quarter and never trailed again.

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The senior sharp shooter finished with four treys and 12 points, including a 3 in the final seconds that may or may not have been a good shot. Prairie was up seven at the time, there was a semi-break going, and the senior wing decided to hoist an open shot from the corner, even though there was tons of time on the shot clock.

Swish, ballgame official over.

“Probably shouldn’t have done it,” McDermott said with a smile. “But I was feeling good, so I let it fly.”

This was such a balanced scoring game offensive for Prairie. Center Devin Ikeda led the way with 15 points, but David Fason, Tae Alexander and Will Wehr (off the bench) had 14 apiece. Then there was McDermott with 12.

It’s been the theme of this season for Prairie, which goes to Dubuque Senior (16-6) for the second time in a week and a half for a 4A substate final Tuesday night at 7 p.m. Prairie won a regular-season game at Senior last week by two, and that was without Ikeda, who didn’t play because he was sick.

Wehr actually fought off sickness in this game for Prairie.

“We’re confident,” McDermott said. “We know it’s just go up there and execute the game plan. Have a good three days of practice here.”

Prairie led this game after a quarter, 20-11, but Bettendorf scored 26 second-quarter points for a 37-33 halftime edge. Bulldogs senior Ben Kerkoff, a Division II Wayne State (Neb.) signee, had five 3s and 27 points.

Cole Odefey added 17 points.

Prairie is one of four Metro teams remaining as we hit substate finals. The Hawks are joined by Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Linn-Mar in Class 4A, and Cedar Rapids Xavier in 3A.

All 3A substate finals are Monday night, all 4A substate finals Tuesday night.

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AT CEDAR RAPIDS PRAIRIE

BETTENDORF (60): Ben Kerkhoff 9-19 4-6 27, Cole Odefey 6-13 3-4 17, Amari Washington 5-9 0-0 11, Jackson Laver 1-4 0-0 2, Justin Gordon 1-3 0-0 3, Cam Scupham 0-0 0-0 0, Teral Burge 0-0 0-0 0, Ben Koerperiak 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-49 7-10 60.

CEDAR RAPIDS PRAIRIE (72): David Fason 6-9 1-1 14, Devin Ikeda 7-8 1-1 15, Jace McDermott 4-6 0-0 12, Tae Alexander 5-7 3-5 14, Austin Joens 1-6 2-2 4, Will Wehr 5-6 1-2 14, Cayden Larson 0-4 0-0 0, Hudson Kimm 0-1 0-0 0, Collin McClintock 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 28-47 8-11 72.

Halftime - Bettendorf 37, Prairie 33. 3-point goals - Bettendorf 9-26 (Kerkhoff 5-11, Odefey 2-6, Laver 0-3, Washington 1-4, Gordon 1-2), Prairie 9-17 (Fason 1-2, McDermott 4-5, Alexander 1-2, Joens 0-4, Wehr 3-4). Rebounds - Bettendorf 26 (Kerhkoff 9), Prairie 24 (Fason 6). Total fouls - Bettendorf 17, Prairie 11. Fouled out - None. Turnovers - Bettendorf 8, Prairie 6.

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