Sellers lifts Kennedy past City High

IOWA CITY — Lela Sellers strays from Kennedy High School for an hour or so in the middle of each school day.

'I have third and fourth period off, so I go the YMCA to shoot,' she said.

Maybe that's the difference. Maybe it's the added comfort level of a second year at the school. Whatever, Sellers has ascended from merely very good to elite.

The Liberty University signee posted 30 points and 11 rebounds, and Class 5A 12th-ranked Cedar Rapids Kennedy rallied from a 10-point third-quarter deficit to upend No. 5 Iowa City High, 65-61, in a Mississippi Valley Conference girls' basketball game Friday night at City High.

Sellers' family moved to Cedar Rapids from Minnesota the summer before her junior season. She's a senior now, and she mighty good.

'She's a lot more comfortable here now,' said Kennedy Coach Tony Vis. 'You plop a kid down in a different state, and it takes time. Last year, she blended in with our team, but it was (Stephanie Botkin's) team. This year, the kids encourage her to do what she can do.

'If there are eight better players in the state than her, this state is loaded with talent.'

Kennedy (2-1 overall, 2-0 MVC) was teetering with major danger, trailing 44-34 midway through the third quarter. But Olivia Hellweg banked in a 3-pointer to start the Cougars' journey back.

The Cougars scored 11 straight points for a 45-44 lead, then it was back and forth, then Kennedy went on another run, a 7-0 job that put the Cougars in front for good at 56-51 with 3:43 left.

From there on out, it was foul shots that carried them home; the Cougars made 11 of their final 14 free throws — most of them from Sydney Hayden and Hailey Dolphin.

'You just have to keep your poise,' Hayden said. 'You have to get there, get comfortable, have fun and have confidence.'

Dolphin added 13 points, Hayden 12.

City High (2-1, 1-1) countered with its Big Three. Ashley Joens led the Little Hawks with 25 points and nine rebounds. Kenya Earl added 16 points and eight boards; Courtney Joens tacked on 14 points before fouling out on a charging call with 2:02 left.

'Kennedy created some turnovers and we took some questionable shots,' City Coach Bill McTaggart said. 'Sellers had a monster game. If you focus on her dribble, then they've got kids that can shoot from the perimeter.'

City High enjoyed a seven-point lead on four occasions in the first half, then Kennedy worked back to forge a 32-all halftime tie. The Little Hawks scored 12 straight for a 44-34 advantage, then the Cougars rallied again.

Kennedy hosts Pleasant Valley on Saturday; City High entertains Muscatine.

'We can celebrate this one for 12 hours,' Vis said. '(The significance of this win) is yet to be determined.'

CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY 65, IOWA CITY HIGH 61

At Iowa City High

CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY (65): Carly Langhurst 1-5 2-3 4, Sydney Hayden 2-7 6-8 12, Lela Sellers 13-21 3-5 30, Hailey Dolphin 2-4 9-12 13, Linden Runels 1-3 0-0 2, Olivia Hellweg 1-3 1-2 4, Ashley Hamilton 0-2 0-0 0, Jordan Vaske 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-45 21-30 65.

IOWA CITY HIGH (61): Sydney Schroder 1-3 2-2 4, Ashley Joens 8-18 8-13 25, Bryn Hanrahan 1-3 0-0 2, Courtney Joens 6-13 0-2 14, Kenya Earl 5-9 6-8 16, Rose Gamamou 0-1 0-0 0, Mikayla Lacey 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-47 16-25 61.

Halftime: 32-32. 3-point goals: Kennedy 4-15 (Langhurst 0-1, Hayden 2-7, Sellers 1-2, Runels 0-1, Hellweg 1-2, Hamilton 0-2), City 3-9 (Schroder 0-1, A.Joens 1-1, Hanrahan 0-2, C.Joens 2-5). Team fouls: Kennedy 19, City 22. Fouled out: Runels, C.Joens, Gamamou. Technical foul: Kennedy bench. Rebounds: Kennedy 26 (Sellers 11), City 33 (A.Joens 9). Assists: Kennedy 7 (Hayden 3), City 8 (C.Joens 3). Steals: Kennedy 8 (Sellers, Dolphin 2), City 7 (Gamamou 3). Turnovers: Kennedy 12, City 18.

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