Harlan runs win streak to 50

DES MOINES — Last time these teams met, a classic ensued.

This was no sequel. Not even close.

Taylor Frederick scored 27 points, and top-ranked Harlan dominated No. 8 Cedar Rapids Xavier on the boards and held the Saints to less than 20 percent shooting in a 54-31 Class 4A quarterfinal romp at the girls' state basketball tournament Tuesday night at Wells Fargo Arena.

'Certainly, give them all the credit,' said Xavier Coach Tom Lilly. 'We needed to seize the opportunities when we had them early, and we didn't finish them off.

'And they crushed us on the boards, no ifs ands or buts.'

Harlan (24-0) won its 50th consecutive game and will face No. 4 Carlisle (22-2) in a semifinal at 6:45 p.m. Thursday. The Cyclones' last defeat was a 53-52 thriller to the Saints in the 2013 4A final.

'That was definitely motivation,' Frederick said. 'We know Xavier, and we knew that they were going to give it all they've got.'

The Saints finished 17-7. They made life difficult for the Cyclones' talented posts early and trailed just 8-7 after a quarter.

But fouls mounted on Xavier's big girls, and Frederick went to work.

She had nine points in the first half (Harlan led 21-14 at intermission), then tacked on 18 in the second.

Frederick made 11 of 12 free throws and also pulled down 15 rebounds.

'Both their big girls (Frederick and Jess Schaben) are great, athletic players,' said Xavier's Lizzy Bailey.

The Saints held Schaben to four points on 1-of-10 shooting, but the Iowa State volleyball signee snagged 14 rebounds to help stake the Cyclones to a 49-29 advantage on the glass.

That, and Xavier's 10-of-51 shooting (19.6 percent) turned the game into a mismatch through the final three quarters.

'Eventually, the cream rises to the top, and they settled down and did the things that won them a state title last year,' Lilly said.

Harlan's advantage grew to 41-23 by the end of the third quarter, and as large as 29 points midway through the fourth.

Bailey, McKenna Andersen and Morgan Breitbach scored seven points apiece for Xavier. The Saints followed their championship season of 2013 with their first losing season in school history (11-12) last year, but enjoyed a nice bounce-back campaign this winter.

'We just didn't want it to end like last year,' Breitbach said.

HARLAN 54, CEDAR RAPIDS XAVIER 31 (Class 4A State Quarterfinal)

At Des Moines

C.R. XAVIER (31): Lizzy Bailey 2-13 2-6 7, McKenna Andersen 2-9 2-2 7, Morgan Breitbach 2-8 3-4 7, Amelia Ivester 0-2 0-0 0, Meghan Joens 0-2 0-0 0, Brylee Bastian 1-2 0-0 2, Kiana Stanek 0-1 0-0 0, Lexi Noonan 0-5 0-0 0, Kaitlyn Albert 0-1 0-0 0, Claire Christianson 0-1 0-0 0, Jenny Dickes 1-1 0-0 2, Madi Nelson 1-3 1-2 3, Maddie Kadlec 0-0 0-0 0, Maddix Stovie 0-0 0-0 0, Erin Drahozal 1-3 0-0 3. Totals 10-51 8-14 31.

HARLAN (54): Jess Schaben 1-10 2-4 4, Taylor Wagner 3-5 0-2 7, Elle Kloewer 0-2 1-2 1, Jordyn Moser 4-6 1-2 10, Taylor Frederick 8-16 11-12 27, Madelyn Bak 0-0 0-0 0, Allison Bruck 0-0 0-0 0, Clare Klein 0-0 0-0 0, Emily Juhl 0-0 0-0 0, Magdalen Langenfeld 0-1 0-0 0, Bailey Hansen 0-0 0-0 0, Kayla Evers 1-5 3-4 5, Kenzie Swanson 0-0 0-0 0, Emma Ahrenholtz 0-0 0-0 0, Lexie Hoffman 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-45 18-26 54.

Halftime: Harlan 21, Xavier 14. 3-point goals: Xavier 3-18 (Bailey 1-7, Andersen 1-5, Breitbach 0-1, Bastian 0-1, Stanek 0-1, Drahozal 1-3), Harlan 2-5 (Wagner 1-1, Moser 1-1, Frederick 0-1, Langenfeld 0-1, Evers 0-1). Team fouls: Xavier 20, Harlan 16. Fouled out: Ivester. Rebounds: Xavier 29 (Andersen 7), Harlan 49 (Frederick 15). Assists: Xavier 4 (four with 1), Harlan 3 (three with 1). Steals: Xavier 6 (Andersen 3), Harlan 7 (Moser 3). Turnovers: Xavier 15, Harlan 15.

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