Williamsburg dominates the boards, surges past Cedar Rapids Xavier, 49-36

WILLIAMSBURG — The name on the front of those navy jerseys was unnerving, for a bit.

“I think it did intimidate us a little,” Williamsburg’s Kennedy Skaggs said. “Cedar Rapids Xavier, 4A state champs ... ”

Class 3A second-ranked Williamsburg eventually got its collective focus, dominated the boards and pulled away from 4A No. 5 Xavier, 49-36, in a non-conference girls’ basketball game Tuesday night at Williamsburg High School.

“Our length is a huge advantage for us,” Williamsburg Coach Stephanie Dacey said. “We knew how hard Xavier would play, and we played hard, too.”

The final advantage on the glass was 46-25. That enabled the Raiders (1-0) to rally from an early 11-point deficit, and it allowed them to overcome 22 turnovers.

Williamsburg didn’t convert from the field for the first 7:45 and fell into a 13-2 hole.

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The Raiders gradually worked their way out. They trailed 23-19 at halftime, took a 28-27 lead on Ava Hocker’s putback midway through the third quarter and didn’t trail again.

It was 37-34 when Xavier’s Cayleigh O’Brien sank a pair of free throws with 7:39 left, but the Saints (0-1) didn’t score again until the final minute.

Xavier’s Madden Wilson scored 16 points in the first half, one in the second.

“We kept Ava on her,” Dacey said. “(Wilson) is a really nice player who has been in the big moments. To hold her to one in the second half, it’s a big difference.”

Back to the mismatch on the boards: Each of the game’s top four rebounders were wearing a white jersey. Kylee Suhr grabbed nine, Taylor Sanchez eight, Hocker and Zoe Allen seven apiece.

“They would get good looks, but it wasn’t falling for them, and we had a numbers advantage,” Dacey said.

Skaggs led the winners with 12 points. Allen and Sanchez scored eight apiece.

“It was physical, but we expected that,” Skaggs said. “We took good shots. They weren’t falling at first. We had to keep taking them.”

The defeat was Xavier’s first since Jan. 11, ending a 14-game win streak. The Saints were 5-of-28 from the field in the second half.

It marked the first game of the post-Tom Lilly, post-Libby Fandel era. Fandel is now at the University of Kansas, and John Gianforte is the new Saints coach.

Williamsburg 49, Cedar Rapids Xavier 36

At Williamsburg

C.R. XAVIER (36): Madden Wilson 5-15 3-6 17, Jaselle Lang 1-8 0-0 3, Brooklyn Emerson 1-2 0-1 2, Cayleigh O’Brien 1-4 2-2 4, Reese Komenda 2-7 0-0 4, Abby Driscoll 2-4 0-0 4, Kyanna Harbeck 0-4 0-2 0, Macie Herting 0-2 2-4 2, Maizey Fisher 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 12-46 7-15 36.

WILLIAMSBURG (49): Channing Becker 2-10 0-0 4, Zoe Allen 2-8 4-4 8, Ava Hocker 2-7 3-6 7, Taylor Sanchez 2-6 2-8 8, Kennedy Skaggs 3-6 4-6 12, Tenley Sanchez 1-2 2-2 5, Kylee Suhr 1-4 3-4 5. Totals 13-43 18-30 49.

C.R. Xavier 13 10 9 4 — 36

Williamsburg 5 14 18 12 — 49

3-point goals: Xavier 5-19 (Wilson 4-9, Lang 1-4, Emerson 0-1, O’Brien 0-1, Harbeck 0-2, Herting 0-1), Williamsburg 5-19 (Becker 0-5, Hocker 0-2, Tay. Sanchez 2-5, Skaggs 2-5, Ten. Sanchez 1-2). Team fouls: Xavier 22, Williamsburg 19. Fouled out: Driscoll. Rebounds: Xavier 25 (Wilson 6), Williamsburg 46 (Suhr 9). Assists: Xavier 5 (Emerson 2), Williamsburg 6 (Becker 4). Steals: Xavier 11 (Wilson 4), Williamsburg 9 (Skaggs 3). Turnovers: Xavier 18, Williamsburg 22.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com