Xavier motors past Norwalk and into the 4A championship game

DES MOINES — The Libby and Lilly Show will make one final act, on the biggest stage possible.

Libby Fandel was remarkable again — 21 points (17 in the second half), 14 rebounds, eight assists, five steals and three blocks — and eighth-ranked Cedar Rapids Xavier knocked off No. 4 Norwalk, 70-60, in a Class 4A semifinal at the girls’ state basketball tournament Thursday evening at Wells Fargo Arena.

“I never thought we’d be here right now,” said Xavier Coach Tom Lilly, whose 40-year career will reach a climatic conclusion Saturday afternoon.

The Saints (21-4) will face No. 2 North Polk (24-2) for the 4A championship at 2:30 p.m.

So, Coach, where exactly did you think you’d be this weekend?

“(Midseason), I envisioned setting a banquet date right after our first (regional) game,” he said. “We weren’t very good.”

Thirteen consecutive wins later, the Saints have that team-of-destiny look.

“Everyone is stepping up and making shots,” said Fandel, the University of Kansas signee who boosted her career scoring total to 1,959 points. “Everyone is dialed in.”

Put Taylor Rexroth at the top of that list. She made all five shots she took Thursday, including four 3-pointers.

  Buy Photo

“I go into every game trying to get a couple of shots,” she said. “My focus is usually on the defensive end, but today I was in some foul trouble and I had to back off.”

Fandel was a freshman when Xavier won the 2022 title. This squad feels similar.

The Saints didn’t blink when Norwalk (23-2) scored 13 straight points in the second quarter for a 27-21 lead. The Warriors led 30-25 at halftime.

“In that locker room, they believed,” Lilly said. “They believed they were going to battle back.”

Then they did.

Trailing 37-30, the Saints embarked on an 18-4 blitz to flip the game, and took a 48-41 lead into the fourth quarter.

Freshman Braylyn Birmingham scored nine points as Norwalk closed within 52-51, but Jaselle Lang nailed a 3-pointer, Rexroth hit another, and Xavier led by six points or more the rest of the way.

Rexroth scored 15 points. Madden Wilson added 13. Lang tallied nine.

“We don’t have a weak spot,” Lang said. “I always felt confidence that we could make this happen.”

Birmingham led Norwalk with 22 points.

Xavier’s last loss came Jan. 11, at home against North Polk, 59-45.

  Buy Photo

Cedar Rapids Xavier 70, Norwalk 60

Class 4A State Semifinal, at Des Moines

C.R. XAVIER (70): Madden Wilson 5-8 2-5 13, Jaselle Lang 3-9 1-3 9, Taylor Rexroth 5-5 1-2 15, Libby Fandel 7-21 7-7 21, Reese Komenda 1-4 0-0 2, Cayleigh O’Brien 1-2 0-0 2, Brooklyn Emerson 1-1 0-0 2, Samantha Dorrity 2-6 2-4 6. Totals 25-56 13-21 70.

NORWALK (60): Pearl Brown 1-6 0-0 3, Hannah Overholser 5-10 1-3 11, Braylyn Birmingham 6-18 7-10 22, Ava Carlson 2-2 0-0 4, Bailey Birmingham 3-8 4-4 11, Payton Travis 1-1 0-0 3, Ellie Dueland 0-0 0-0 0, Avery Thomas 0-0 0-0 0, Grace Linder 1-5 3-4 6, Addi Stillman 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-50 15-21 60.

C.R. Xavier 13 12 23 22 — 70

Norwalk 10 20 11 19 — 60

3-point goals: Xavier 7-19 (Wilson 1-3, Lang 2-6, Rexroth 4-4, Fandel 0-4, Komenda 0-1, O’Brien 0-1), Norwalk 7-18 (Brown 1-2, Overholser 0-1, Braylyn Birmingham 3-7, Bailey Birmingham 1-3, Travis 1-1, Linder 1-4). Team fouls: Norwalk 23, Xavier 19. Fouled out: Komenda. Rebounds: Xavier 36 (Fandel 14), Norwalk 34 (Braylyn Birmingham, Carlson 7). Assists: Xavier 15 (Fandel 8), Norwalk 6 (Braylyn Birmingham, Bailey Birmingham 2). Steals: Xavier 8 (Fandel 5), Norwalk 4 (Bailey Birmingham 3). Turnovers: Xavier 7, Norwalk 12.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com