Xavier rolls in the Class 3A boys’ state basketball semifinals, topping Sioux City Heelan, 72-59

DES MOINES — What do you get when you combine three basketball-only kids with some football kids who know how to win?

A state championship boys’ basketball team. At least a state championship game boys’ basketball team.

Gonna have to wait a day to find out if that first deal holds true.

Cedar Rapids Xavier is the club being talked about, the Saints making their way to the Class 3A final with a convincing 72-59 semifinal win Thursday afternoon over Sioux City Heelan at Wells Fargo Arena.

Xavier has a pair of tremendous hoops-only players in senior wing Aidan Yamilkoski and junior point guard Joe Bean. Six-foot-8 junior center Tyler Netolicky has become an interior presence.

Josef Lemker, Thomas Sundell, Aidan McDermott and Michael Cunningham are the gridiron guys, significant parts of Xavier’s state championship football team in the fall. Those eight guys all contributed in a very good performance here in which Xavier (20-6) led from start to finish.

Almost from start to finish, truthfully. Heelan (19-7) got the first points of this game (on a 3-pointer), but Xavier rattled off the next 15 and never trailed after that.

“It has just meshed together well,” said Lemker, who hit a couple of rally-killing shots in the second half and scored 19 points overall. “We all play together well, we know each other well, we get along really well. They support us in football, and we do what we can on the basketball court. There’s just a good family bond to this team that carries over.”

⧉ Related article: Photos: Cedar Rapids Xavier vs. Sioux City Heelan in 2023 Iowa Class 3A boys’ state basketball semifinals

Top-seeded and top-ranked Bondurant-Farrar (25-0) is Xavier’s championship game opponent Friday afternoon at 5. The Saints are seeking that impressive football-basketball double, their first basketball championship since going back to back in 2016 and 2017.

Assistant coach Jackson Joens was a big part of those teams. Maybe he’s the key.

Not really. Again, it’s all about Yamilkoski, Bean, Lemker, etc., etc., etc.

“Proud of our group. It was a combined effort. We’re really excited to be playing again (Friday),” said Coach Mike Freeman.

“We only had one day to prepare for this game, and Coach just kind of said it’s going to come down to fundamentals, making the hard plays, taking a charge, getting loose balls,” said Yamilkoski. “I thought the team put a really good effort into that and didn’t make too many mistakes this game.”

Yamilkoski led the way in scoring, as he has all season, showing off an adept shooting touch in a 21-point outing. Like Lemker, Bean finished with 19, leading Xavier with seven rebounds.

He patiently but continually worked his way through the lane on penetration.

“I do that because I can create for others,” he said. “I like to see my teammates get the ball and score.”

Xavier’s defense was good enough, especially in the second half. Heelan got back into the game with a 19-point second quarter that inched it within 30-27 at the break, but the Saints did a nice job of slowing down Heelan’s best player, 6-8 junior Matt Noll.

He had 15 points, but only five in the second. Guard Carter Kuehl led Heelan with 26 points.

“Someone just showed me the stats, and those three boys (Yamilkoski, Bean and Lemker) played good,” Freeman said. “Everybody likes to talk about the guys with the stats. But guys like Aidan McDermott ... Kuehl was really going, and we told Aidan ‘You’ve got to be fundamental. You’ve got to stop him.’ I thought he was really big late.”

“Of course,” Lemker said, when asked if he thought coming into the season Xavier could do what it has done this season. “We’re a great basketball team. We have some good players, we play hard. Yeah, I knew this was possible.”

AT DES MOINES

SIOUX CITY HEELAN (59): Matt Noll 6-11 3-4 15, Quinn Olson 3-5 0-0 7, Carter Kuehl 10-16 2-3 26, Sam Skinner 1-6 0-0 2, Sean Schaefer 2-5 4-4 9, Mason Streeter 0-0 0-0 0, Beau Chamberlain 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-43 9-11 59.

CEDAR RAPIDS XAVIER (72): Josef Lemker 7-11 2-2 19, Aidan Yamilkoski 6-13 7-9 21, Tyler Netolicky 4-6 0-0 8, Thomas Sundell 0-1 0-0 0, Aidan McDermott 2-4 1-2 5, Michael Cunningham 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 25-49 16-20 72.

Halftime - Xavier 30, Heelan 27. 3-point goals - Heelan 6-15 (Kuehl 4-7, Skinner 0-3, Olson 1-2, Schaefer 1-3), Xavier 6-19 (Sundell 0-1, Lemker 3-5, Yamilkoski 2-7, Bean 1-6). Rebounds - Heelan 23 (Noll 9), Xavier 26 (Bean 7). Total fouls - Heelan 16, Xavier 11. Fouled out - None. Assists - Heelan 12 (Noll 6), Xavier 11 (Sundell 3). Turnovers - Heelan 10, Xavier 3.

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