Third-quarter 3-point brigade sparks City High’s comeback win over Xavier

CEDAR RAPIDS — An eight-point lead had turned into a 12-point deficit. This one was getting away, getting out of hand.

Then, Maybes Miller and Eve Vitense got hot, and everything shifted one final, fateful time.

Miller and Vitense hit three 3-pointers apiece in the third quarter, and Class 5A 11th-ranked Iowa City High closed with a 22-2 rush to defeat 4A No. 7 Cedar Rapids Xavier, 49-41, in a Mississippi Valley Conference girls basketball game Monday night at Ron Thillen Gymnasium.

“When we came to the locker room (at halftime), Coach (Lynsey Barnard) told us we were better than (we were playing),” Miller said. “I saw one go in, and it was like dominoes.”

Facing a 39-27 deficit midway through the third quarter, City (7-2 overall, 3-0 MVC) scored the next 19 points and limited Xavier (4-4, 2-1) to a single basket the rest of the way.

Coming into Monday’s game, Miller and Vitense had combined for 30 points all season. On this night, they were the Little Hawks’ top two scorers, with 13 and 11, respectively.

“We hadn’t been a very good shooting team to this point,” Barnard said. “Teams were adjusting against what we’re good at, so we need to extend what we’re good at.”

At 39-27, Miller drained a pair of 3-pointers to get the Little Hawks within six. Vitense’s long ball put them ahead to stay, 40-39, heading into the final period.

Kaitlin Loria added nine points and eight rebounds for the winners; Tessa Driscoll scored eight points.

Loria’s basket early in the second quarter put City in front 15-7, but Xavier closed the half with a flurry and led 21-18 at intermission.

Madden Wilson kept the Saints humming through the early portions of the third quarter, but they went cold through the final 12 minutes.

Wilson led Xavier with 14 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.

“Eve and I were guarding her most of the time. We had to trust the help behind us,” Miller said.

Just another night in the MVC, which houses at least nine teams that can be termed as quality.

“We’re playing a ton of ranked teams with a ton of great players,” Vitense said. “It’s a really tough schedule.”

Iowa City High 49, Cedar Rapids Xavier 41

At C.R. Xavier

IOWA CITY HIGH (49): Maybes Miller 5-9 0-0 13, Hattie Galloway 2-5 0-0 4, Thisbe Lewis 1-3 2-2 4, Kaitlin Loria 3-9 2-3 9, Tessa Driscoll 2-7 3-6 8, Eve Vitense 4-10 0-0 11, Halle Larew 0-2 0-0 0, Maeve Bowen-Burt 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 17-46 7-11 49.

C.R. XAVIER (41): Madden Wilson 4-11 4-5 14, Jaselle Lang 3-8 0-4 7, Brooklyn Emerson 1-4 1-2 3, Cayleigh O’Brien 2-9 1-2 5, Reese Komenda 3-12 0-0 7, Kyanna Harbeck 2-10 1-1 5, Macie Herting 0-3 0-0 0, Abby Driscoll 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 15-57 7-14 41.

Iowa City High 13 5 22 9 — 49

C.R. Xavier 5 16 18 2 — 41

3-point goals: City 8-23 (Miller 3-6, Loria 1-3, T. Driscoll 1-5, Vitense 3-8, Bowen-Burt 0-1), Xavier 4-21 (Wilson 2-6, Lang 1-5, Emerson 0-2, O’Brien 0-1, Komenda 1-5, Harbeck 0-2). Team fouls: City 12, Xavier 12. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: City 38 (Galloway, Loria 8), Xavier 37 (Wilson 13). Assists: City 8 (Loria, Vitense 2), Xavier 8 (Wilson 5). Steals: City 4 (Loria 2), Xavier 7 (Lang 3). Turnovers: City 14, Xavier 7.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com