Second-quarter surge keys No. 1 Iowa City West at City High

IOWA CITY — They're 'not consistent,' according to Steve Bergman. 'Not a finished product.'

But ...

'At this point, who is?'

For December, Class 4A top-ranked Iowa City West was plenty good in a 75-48 Mississippi Valley Conference boys' basketball conquest of Iowa City High on Tuesday at City High.

The Trojans broke it open in the second quarter and improved to 4-0 overall, 2-0 MVC.

'Our defense in the second quarter, it was stellar,' Bergman said. 'The rest of the game, it was just OK. Defensively, we're capable of playing real good.'

City High (1-2, 1-1) was right in it for a while, trailing just 20-16 when Jeremie Kambomba opened the second quarter with a basket.

But West scored the next five points and concluded the half with a 20-4 surge to open a 40-20 cushion at intermission.

Patrick McCaffery had three dunks in a 15-point first half, including one that caused the east apparatus to shake. The junior finished with a game-high 21 points.

Seybian Sims and Dante Eldridge added 16 points apiece, with Eldridge nailing four 3-pointers.

Girls: City High stakes its claim to No. 1 with 53-40 win

'Dante has improved as much as anybody we've had,' Bergman said.

'We hunted the three a little bit early. We don't need to hunt it. It will come.'

West led, 57-30, at the end of three quarters, and the margin grew to 34 midway through the fourth.

Ry Threlkeld-Wiegand paced City High with nine points. Kambomba and Carter Westlake added eight apiece.

IOWA CITY WEST 75, IOWA CITY HIGH 48

At Iowa City High

IOWA CITY WEST (75): Dante Eldridge 6 0-0 16, Evan Flitz 3 2-2 9, Seybian Sims 6 4-7 16, Hakeem Odunsi 1 0-0 2, Patrick McCaffery 7 6-8 21, Jacob Anderson 1 0-0 2, Paul McGee 0 0-0 0, Brayden Adcock 0 0-0 0, Jacob Klein 1 0-0 3, Jayson Barnes 0 0-0 0, Cole Mabry 0 0-0 0, Jalen Gaudet 0 0-2 0, Blake Miller 0 0-0 0, Timothy Hillberry 0 0-1 0, Lucas McCool 0 0-2 0. Totals 28 12-22 75.

IOWA CITY HIGH (48): Antonio Turner 3 1-1 7, Luke Young 1 0-1 3, Jeremy Kambomba 4 0-3 8, Keshawn Christian 0 2-2 2, Ry Threlkeld-Wiegand 3 1-2 9, Carter Westlake 3 0-0 8, Malik Kimber 1 1-1 3, Amadon Diallo 0 0-0 0, Juwan Beard 0 0-0 0, Quincy Wells 0 0-0 0, Jason Allen 1 0-0 2, Doug Burtch 0 0-0 0, Wyatt Streeby 0 0-0 0, Liam McComas 0 0-2 0. Totals 19 5-13 48.

Halftime: West 40, City 20. 3-point goals: West 7 (Eldridge 4, Flitz, McCaffery, Klein), City 5 (Threlkeld-Wiegand 2, Westlake 2, Young). Team fouls: West 13, City 18. Fouled out: none.

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