Cedar Rapids Prairie surges in final minute and half for 64-54 win over North Scott

CEDAR RAPIDS — They sort of picked up where they left off.

The Cedar Rapids Prairie boys' basketball team was known last season for its rallies and good second-half play, and it continued that pattern Friday night in a 64-54 season-opening win over North Scott.

The Hawks scored the final 10 points of a back-and-forth fourth quarter, getting what turned out to be the winning 3-point shot from senior guard Griff Clark with 1:20 left. Coach Jeremy Rickertsen eschewed calling timeout in that situation, and his team rewarded him by getting Clark a wide-open look in the corner on a kick-out pass from guard Logan Burg.

'Logan did an awesome job all game of dribble penetration,' Clark said. 'My defender helped off, and I was open.'

'We've got a handful of kids we're confident in shooting the ball,' Rickertsen said. 'One of them is certainly Griff.'

Prairie is a fun team to watch because it spreads the floor offensively and has guys who can shoot it or drive it. Four starters scored in double figures, led by junior wing Kris Murray with a career-high 20 points.

Clark added 13, Mason Hook 11 and Keegan Murray 10. Kris and Keegan are twin sons of former Iowa Hawkeyes forward Kenyon Murray who have grown five inches to 6-foot-5 since last winter.

Keegan Murray was the better scorer last season, but he got into foul trouble in the first half here. Kris backed him up.

'It was my job as captain to kind of pick up the slack with him on the bench,' Kris Murray said. 'Everyone stepped up today. I didn't have to do it myself. Mason Hook stepped up and was big in the win. It was a total team effort.'

Prairie made 13 of 21 second-half field goals, including 5 of 9 from distance. The Hawks trailed by six early in the fourth quarter but came back to take their first lead on a Hook reverse layup with 6:22 left.

A Hook drive put Prairie up, 54-51, with two minutes left, but North Scott tied it on the ensuing possession via a Reece Sommers triple. Clark's bomb followed, as did a defensive stop and Kris Murray layup after breaking North Scott's press defense.

'We talked at halftime about just being tougher at both ends, offensively and defensively,' Rickertsen said. 'I thought offensively the first half, they kind of dictated where we were going. That doesn't play to our favor. So we talked about just being tougher with our cuts, finishing plays at the rim. I feel like we did that.'

Sommers, Corvon Seales and Gary Morgan had 10 points each to lead North Scott. Prairie limited Seales, a signee at Division II Minnesota State, to just 2-of-14 shooting from the field.

The 6-7 Hook, by the way, did not play basketball last season but decided to go out this season and will make a difference for Prairie.

AT C.R. PRAIRIE

NORTH SCOTT (54): Reece Sommers 4-9 0-0 10, Ty Anderson 2-4 1-2 5, Corvon Seales 2-14 5-6 10, Cortaviaus Seales 2-2 2-2 7, Sam Kilburg 4-7 0-0 9, Nile McLaughlin 1-2 0-0 3, Carson Rollinger 0-5 0-0 0, Gary Morgan 4-8 0-0 10. Totals 19-51 8-10 54.

C.R. PRAIRIE (64): Kris Murray 6-14 6-6 20, Keegan Murray 2-8 5-6 10, Mason Hook 4-6 2-2 11, Logan Burg 4-4 0-0 8, Griff Clark 4-7 3-6 13, Harrison Cook 0-2 2-2 2, Quinn Langfitt 0-0 0-0 0, Matt Walter 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-41 18-22 64.

Halftime — North Scott 25, Prairie 23. 3-point goals — North Scott 8-27 (Sommers 2-5, Corvon Seales 1-7, Cortaviaous Sealtes 1-1, Kilburg 1-3, McLaughlin 1-2, Rollinger 0-3, Morgan 2-6), Prairie 6-15 (Kris Murray 2-6, Keegan Murray 1-3, Hook 1-2, Clark 2-3, Cook 0-1). Rebounds — North Scott 27 (Sommers 9), Prairie 26 (Hook 6). Total fouls — North Scott 13, Prairie 12. Fouled out — None. Turnovers — North Scott 8, Prairie 6.

l Comments: (319) 398-8259; jeff.johnson@thegazette.com