Comets' bid for winning season off to promising start

They lost, arguably, their top player to transfer. They lost a week of practice due to a state-volleyball run.

But the West Liberty Comets haven't yet lost a game.

A program short on girls' basketball success, West Liberty has taken a couple steps toward its first winning season in a long, long time. The Comets' 69-49 win over Wilton on Monday sent them to 2-0.

'We were close last year (at 10-13). We really want that winning season,' said Comets Coach Nick Heath. 'From our top player to our eighth or ninth player, I'm happy with our balance. We have a lot of girls capable of scoring 10 to 12 points on a given night.'

No doubt, the Comets have athletes. The majority of the roster played on the volleyball team that reached the Class 3A state finals less than a month ago.

That includes Hailey Daufeldt, who is averaging 16 points and 9.5 rebounds per game and is shooting 65 percent from the floor. Kyleigh Becker (10.0 ppg) was a JV player last year as a junior.

The deep volleyball run meant Heath had to scramble once his players were available.

'We kind of had to rush in getting stuff into place in four days,' he said.

The Comets also have had to adjust after losing Tatum Koenig, who averaged 15.3 points per game last season as a freshman, via transfer to River Valley Conference rival West Branch.

But the blow has been cushioned by the improvement of Becker and the arrival of freshman Macy Akers (9.5 ppg).

If you consider the 1993-94 season (the first year in which the entire state played the five-player game) the advent of 'modern-day' girls' basketball in Iowa, West Liberty is still looking for its first winning season in that time. The Comets host Bellevue on Friday.

JOENS SHINING UPON RETURN

Courtney Joens' knee is repaired, and her scoring ability has returned.

A senior at Iowa City High and a University of Illinois signee, Joens tallied 47 points in the Little Hawks' first two games.

'She doesn't jump as high as she used to, but she looks 10 times better than she did a couple weeks ago,' said Little Hawks Coach Bill McTaggart.

Joens hobbled through most of her junior season, then had surgery last spring. She scored 20 points in a 67-59 season-opening win over West Des Moines Dowling on Saturday, then posted 27 in an 81-49 victory over Dubuque Senior on Tuesday.

Kenya Earl is averaging 17.5 points per game, Ashley Joens (Courtney's younger sister) 16.0.

The Little Hawks host Cedar Rapids Kennedy in an MVC showdown Friday.

'We're going to have to do a better job sharing the ball than we did Tuesday,' McTaggart said.

WINNERS AT LAST

Waterloo East ended a 67-game losing streak Tuesday, picking up a 52-42 win at Marshalltown.

It was the first win for the Trojans since Nov. 24, 2012, when they defeated Davenport North, 42-40.

Amanee Clark led East (1-3) with 21 points. The Trojans led, 21-17, at halftime, then pulled away in the fourth quarter.

East's next step is to end a Mississippi Valley Conference skid that currently stands at 104 games.

* * * * *

AREA STANDINGS (Through Tuesday)

MVC MISSISSIPPI DIVISION Conf. All

Cedar Rapids Washington 1-0 2-0

Iowa City High 1-0 2-0

Cedar Rapids Prairie 0-1 1-1

Cedar Rapids Xavier 0-1 1-2

Dubuque Hempstead 0-1 1-2

Waterloo West 0-1 1-2

Waterloo East 0-1 1-3

MVC VALLEY DIVISION Conf. All

Linn-Mar 1-0 2-0

Iowa City West 1-0 2-0

Cedar Falls 1-0 1-0

Cedar Rapids Jefferson 1-0 2-1

Cedar Rapids Kennedy 1-0 1-1

Dubuque Wahlert 0-1 1-2

Dubuque Senior 0-1 0-2

WAMAC EAST DIVISION Div. All

Western Dubuque 0-0 2-0

DeWitt Central 0-0 3-1

Mount Vernon 0-0 1-1

Solon 0-0 1-1

Anamosa 0-0 1-2

Dyersville Beckman 0-0 0-2

Maquoketa 0-0 0-2

West Delaware 0-0 0-2

WAMAC WEST DIVISION Div. All

Benton Community 0-0 2-0

Center Point-Urbana 0-0 2-0

Clear Creek Amana 0-0 2-0

Marion 0-0 1-0

Independence 0-0 1-1

South Tama 0-0 1-2

Vinton-Shellsburg 0-0 0-2

Williamsburg 0-0 0-2

RIVER VALLEY NORTH Conf. All

Camanche 2-0 3-0

Cascade 2-0 3-0

Monticello 2-0 2-0

North Cedar 0-2 1-2

Bellevue 0-2 0-2

Northeast 0-2 0-2

RIVER VALLEY SOUTH Conf. All

West Branch 2-0 2-0

West Liberty 1-0 2-0

Iowa City Regina 1-0 1-0

Mid-Prairie 1-0 1-1

Tipton 0-1 0-1

Durant 0-2 1-2

Wilton 0-2 0-2

TRI-RIVERS EAST Div. All

Midland 0-0 1-0

Easton Valley 0-0 2-1

Bellevue Marquette 0-0 1-1

Calamus-Wheatland 0-0 0-2

Cedar Valley Christian 0-0 0-2

Clinton Prince of Peace 0-0 0-3

TRI-RIVERS WEST Div. All

Maquoketa Valley 1-0 2-0

North-Linn 1-0 2-0

Lisbon 1-0 1-1

Springville 0-0 1-0

Alburnett 0-1 2-1

Central City 0-1 0-2

East Buchanan 0-1 0-2

NORTHEAST IOWA Conf. All

Waukon 1-0 2-1

Crestwood 0-0 2-0

Waverly-Shell Rock 0-0 1-0

Oelwein 0-0 1-1

Charles City 0-0 0-1

Decorah 0-0 0-1

New Hampton 0-1 1-1

SICL EAST DIVISION Conf. All

English Valleys 1-0 1-0

Iowa Valley 1-0 1-0

Belle Plaine 1-0 2-2

Keota 0-1 0-2

Sigourney 0-1 0-2

Tri-County 0-1 0-2

SICL WEST DIVISION Conf. All

Lynnville-Sully 2-0 2-0

Montezuma 1-0 2-0

Colfax-Mingo 1-0 1-1

BGM 0-1 1-1

North Mahaska 0-1 0-2

HLV 0-2 0-3

UPPER IOWA LARGE Conf. All

MFL MarMac 1-0 1-0

North Fayette Valley 1-0 1-0

South Winneshiek 0-0 0-1

Edgewood-Colesburg 0-1 0-1

Clayton Ridge 0-1 0-2

UPPER IOWA SMALL Conf. All

Lansing Kee 1-0 3-0

Postville 1-0 1-0

Turkey Valley 1-0 1-0

Elkader Central 0-1 1-1

West Central 0-1 0-1

Starmont 0-1 0-3

OTHERS All

Highland 2-0

Union 1-0

Washington (Iowa) 1-0

Lone Tree 3-1

North Tama 2-1

Jesup 1-1

Meskwaki Settlement 1-1

Iowa Mennonite 0-2

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com