North Scott blasts Cedar Rapids Prairie

CEDAR RAPIDS — They're smarting a little bit right now, which is understandable.

The Cedar Rapids Prairie Hawks have taken back-to-back beatings from a pair of teams that are state tournament quality. The latest was 62-38 Saturday night to North Scott.

There's another really good club up next Tuesday night in Cedar Rapids Xavier, so regrouping pronto is a necessity.

'Yeah, a little bit,' Prairie Coach Jeremy Rickertsen said, when asked if he is concerned about his team's confidence dwindling. 'I think you'd have to with those two results ... But this group is very good in practice, and they'll come to work tomorrow. I think some of them are getting (too) comfortable, so we might have to shake things up. We have the numbers to do that.'

Linn-Mar's Jordan Bohannon went off for 40 points against Prairie (4-3) in its final game before the holiday break. North Scott's Bailey Basala didn't quite do that much damage, but 29 points is still really, really good.

The 6-foot-5 junior transferred in from Moline (Ill.) High School and played just his second game Saturday for the Lancers (6-1) because of a five-game suspension to begin the season for violating school policy. Prairie had no one to matchup with Basala on the interior, which made his ability to drift out and hit the 3-pointer, too, especially problematic. He ended up making 10 of his 20 shots from the field, including four treys, and pulled in a game-high nine rebounds.

'We didn't get a chance to see him on tape because he's only played one game with them,' Rickertsen said. ' 'We did a little homework and saw some of his (AAU) video. He's a nice player, is inside-outside. You've got to guard him all over the floor.'

North Scott is the defending Class 4A state champion but has five new starters, general inexperience that was supposed to be an issue for the Lancers. But, obviously, it hasn't been thus far.

Sophomore Corvon Seales added 12 points for North Scott. He's the younger brother of 2015 all-stater Cortez Seales, who is starting as a freshman for North Dakota.

'For as young as we are, we're excited because we have gotten better each game. Hopefully we continue to do that,' said North Scott Coach Shamus Budde. 'I don't think many people expected much from our group this year, just because of all the guys we lost. But I think our kids are kind of tired of hearing about the group last year. More importantly, I think our kids know that, because of the success we've had the last couple years, we're going to get everyone's best shot and that they have to come ready to play each game.'

Prairie didn't score until Cal Clark made an inside turnaround with 2:19 left in the first quarter. The Hawks were down 11-0 at that point.

It was a 15-point spread at halftime and 16 after three quarters. Jake Eilers led Prairie with 11 points.

The Hawks shot just 29 percent from the field.

'I think we came out today a little lethargic,' said Clark, who had nine points. 'We weren't really ready to go. We're going to need to pick up the intensity right at the opening tipoff to stay in games early and stay in games as they go on.

'We definitely need to make some improvements going into Tuesday night against Xavier. They're coming here, but we know it's going to be a tough matchup. It's really a game we need to win to keep us alive in the conference race and get us on a win streak here.'

AT C.R. PRAIRIE

NORTH SCOTT (62): Corvon Seales 4-7 0-0 12, Drew Boffeli 3-7 0-0 7, Bailey Basala 10-20 5-6 29, Gary Morgan 1-3 0-0 3, Samuel Stonskas 1-2 0-0 2, Nathan Wilkerson 0-0 2-2 2, Reece Sommers 2-3 0-0 5, Triston Akers 2-3 0-0 5, Nathan Boddicker 0-0 0-0 0, Brendon Lee 0-0 0-0 0, Marcus Rowan 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 22-44 7-8 62.

C.R. PRAIRIE (38): Jalen Rima 2-5 2-2 6, Jake Eilers 4-6 0-0 11, Max Smith-Drahos 2-9 0-0 5, Ethan Copeland 0-4 0-0 0, Cal Clark 4-9 0-1 9, Mason Hook 0-2 0-0 0, Ryan Oxley 0-2 0-0 0, Darren Kilpatrick 0-1 0-0 0, Matt Lorenz 2-7 0-1 5, Zack Johnson 1-1 0-0 2, Mitch Nierling 0-0 0-0 0, Cade Chadima 0-0 0-0 0, Blake Krapfl 0-0 0-0 0, Cooper Reittinger 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 14-48 2-4 38.

Halftime — North Scott 30, Prairie 15. 3-point goals — North Scott 11-23 (Seales 4-5, Boffeli 1-2, Basala 4-9, Morgan 1-3, Stonskas 0-1, Sommers 1-2, Rowan 0-1), Prairie 5-16 (Rima 0-1, Eilers 3-4, Smith-Drahos 1-3, Copeland 0-1, Clark 1-4, Hook 0-1, Lorenz 1-1, Reittinger 0-1). Rebounds — North Scott 28 (Basala 9), Prairie 26 (Rima, Clark, Hook 5). Total fouls — North Scott 12, Prairie 9. Fouled out — None. Turnovers — North Scott 9, Prairie 16.

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