Evan Flitz, Hakeem Odunsi come off bench to help Iowa City West overcome Bettendorf

IOWA CITY — Sometimes you need the unexpected guys to step up and help you win games.

That's how it went down Tuesday night at Iowa City West. The Class 4A top-ranked Trojans overcame No. 6 Bettendorf, 59-45, thanks in no small part to some dudes not named McCaffery or Lane.

Guard Evan Flitz popped in back-to-back 3-pointers late in the third quarter to re-establish a West lead. Probably known best as the Trojans' football quarterback in their run to the state finals, he came off the bench for nine points.

Six-foot-six junior forward Hakeem Odunsi only played in three previous games for various reasons but came up clutch here, with nine points off the bench, three rebounds and some good defense against a tall and physical opponent.

'That was good stuff,' West Coach Steve Bergman said.

'We're very deep,' Flitz said. 'Berg talks all the time in practice that everybody needs to be ready because on a team with a lot of talent, you never know whose night it's going to be. A lot of times it's Connor, Patrick (McCaffery) and Devontae (Lane), but when myself or Izaya or Nate or Hakeem, all the way down, can contribute, it really helps us out.'

Patrick McCaffery still led West (9-1) in scoring with 15 points. His brother, Connor, added 14.

But this was a night when Bettendorf's 1-2-2 zone defense bamboozled a normally potent West offense. The Trojans moved the ball around well enough and everything, but their jumpers weren't going in.

Guys like Flitz and Odunsi helped bail them out.

'I felt like I was able to bring energy to the team off the bench. I was pretty comfortable with that,' said Odunsi, who'd scored just four prior points this season. 'I think we just stopped settling for 3s. We could get a layup anytime we wanted, but when we settle for 3s, and they're not falling, we give the other team the opportunity to stay with us. If we don't do that, I feel like we're unbeatable.'

'They were so big, so I thought 'Well, let's try it,'' Bergman said, of his decision to insert Odunsi.

West went 7 for 23 beyond the arc but was especially frigid in the second and third quarters. A seven-point second quarter allowed Bettendorf (9-3) to climb within 25-24 at the break, and a Cole Clearman trey midway through the third gave the Bulldogs their first lead, 33-31.

But that's when Flitz struck. Bettendorf, with four starters 6-4 or taller, shot just 42 percent from the field and was outscored at the free-throw line by a telltale 12-1 margin.

West was whistled for just four fouls in the game to Bett's 13.

AT IOWA CITY

BETTENDORF (45): Suni Lane 3-4 0-0 6, Joe Martens 5-11 0-1 10, Mark Kallenberger 1-4 1-2 3, Dylan Clearman 2-6 0-0 6, J.Michael Young 7-16 0-0 14, Cole Grothusen 2-5 0-0 4, Michael Baer 1-3 0-0 2, Justin Hunter 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 21-50 1-3 45.

IOWA CITY WEST (59): Seybian Sims 0-2 0-0 0, Patrick McCaffery 6-13 2-3 15, Izaya Ono-Fullard 2-4 0-0 5, Connor McCaffery 4-10 4-5 14, Devontae Lane 2-5 3-3 7, Nate Disterhoft 0-2 0-0 0, Evan Flitz 3-4 0-0 9, Hakeem Odunsi 3-3 3-4 9. Totals 20-43 12-15 59.

Halftime — West 25, Bettendorf 24. 3-point goals — Betendorf 2-10 (Young 0-4, Clearman 2-4, Baer 0-1, Hunter 0-1), West 7-23 (P. McCaffery 1-4, Ono-Fullard 1-3, C. McCaffery 2-8, Lane 0-3, Disterhoft 0-1, Flitz 3-4). Rebounds — Bettendorf 30 (Martens 8), West 25 (Sims, C. McCaffery 5). Total fouls — Bettendorf 13, West 4. Fouled out — None. Turnovers — Bettendorf 12, West 11.

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