Dawson helps Wash girls' hold off Kennedy, 73-62

Late in Tuesday night's game, a Cedar Rapids Kennedy player threw up a 3-point attempt that stuck between the rim and the backboard. After a couple of seconds for everyone to absorb the unique situation, Tia Dawson jumped up and knocked the ball free.Why not? She did about everything else.The 6-foot-2 senior center hit 10 of 12 shots from the field and posted a double-double of 23 points and 15 rebounds to help the Class 4A fifth-ranked Warriors get past stubborn Kennedy, 73-62, at the Cougars gym. It's a perfect 9-0 for the Warriors headed to the holidays, the first time that's happened in eight seasons under head coach Frank Howell."I'm glad that we got that for Coach Howell,"  Dawson said. "Is it surprising? I didn't anticipate it, but I hoped for it, and we got it. I think it's because we really work well together. If you're not open, you find the other person."There were plenty of times during this one that Dawson was the open person but watched her teammates hoist it up from the perimeter instead. Washington was just 4 of 22 from the arc, which more or less helped Kennedy (3-5) hang around.Well, that and Courtney Strait's mammoth 27-point, 11-rebound night. The Cougars led after one, 14-12, and were within six late.They never had an answer for Dawson, though."At halftime, we stressed two things," Howell said. "One, we didn't get the ball to (Dawson) enough times. Secondly, I didn't think she was aggressive enough inside. It doesn't matter if we get her the ball if she's not aggressive with it.""I had a height advantage," Dawson said. "Without a doubt (she wanted the ball). But my teammates are open, that's a good shot."Here's a game boxscore and short video interview with Dawson:

AT C.R. KENNEDY

C.R. WASHINGTON (73): Ashley Piper 4-14 2-2 11, Tia Dawson 10-12 3-4 23, Jazz Royster 5-14 4-6 15, Alissa Oney 2-6 3-4 8, Jordon Pilcher 1-6 0-0 2, Madison Kramer 3-8 3-4 10, Latasha Roundtree 0-0 0-0 0, Layloni Beard 1-2 0-0 2, Abigail Herb 0-0 0-0 0, Jordan Paige Birkicht-Carr 0-1 0-0 0, Lauren Goodlove 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 27-65 15-22 73.

C.R. KENNEDY (62): Shauna Happel 2-10 1-3 5, Kali Hildebrand 0-0 3-4 3, Olivia Meier 2-9 8-11 12, Kassi Nunnikhoven 2-3 0-2 4, Courtney Strait 8-19 8-8 27, Kristen Huebsch 1-1 0-0 2, Kaylese Johnson 1-5 5-7 7, Kim Muench 0-0 0-0 0, Kate Schulz 0-4 1-2 1, Mariah Simmons 0-3 0-0 0, Dominique Wright 0-0 0-2 0, Aryn Nelson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 15-54 26-37 62.

Halftime - Washington 34, Kennedy 27.

3-point goals - Washington 4-22 (Piper 1-9, Royster 1-1, Oney 1-4, Pilcher 0-2, Kramer 1-4, Birkicht-Carr 0-1, Foreman 0-1), Kennedy 3-21 (Happel 0-3, Meier 0-5, Nunnikhoven 0-1, Strait 3-6, Johnson 0-3, Simmons 0-1, Wright 0-2).

Rebounds - Washington 52 (Dawson 15), Kennedy 38 (Strait 11).

Total fouls - Washington 24, Kennedy 18.

Fouled out - Royster, Pilcher.

Turnovers - Washington 19, Kennedy 20.