Walvoord's 3-point play lifts Xavier past City

CEDAR RAPIDS -- Breathe. Bingo. Ball game.Emily Walvoord converted a three-point play the old-fashioned way with 6 seconds left to lift Class 4A 10th-ranked Cedar Rapids Xavier past No. 4 Iowa City High, 37-36, in a Mississippi Valley Conference girls' basketball game Tuesday night at Ron Thillen Gymnasium.Walvoord gathered teammate Krissi Tow's miss and scored while drawing a foul from City's Sierra Chambers. But there was still work to do."My teammates just told me to breathe," said Walvoord, who swished the free throw. "I said a little prayer and collected myself."City's Kiera Washpun missed a 10-foot runner from the right baseline as time expired as Xavier improved to 8-0 overall, 5-0 in the MVC."It's good to protect our home floor," said Xavier Coach Tom Lilly. "Both teams had an excessive amount of turnovers. It wasn't a pretty floor game."But the Saints will gladly take it.City High (6-2, 3-2) led, 36-32, when Washpun turned a steal into a layup with 3:50 to go, but didn't score again.Walvoord made a free throw, then Tow added another to make it 36-34. The Saints missed a pair of tying shots before Walvoord struck gold at the end."Krissi went up with the shot, and I was in the right place at the right time," said Walvoord, who led the Saints with 12 points and six rebounds.All-stater and University of Iowa recruit Virginia Johnson paced City High with 16 points, making 8 of 12 shots. She was slowed a little by fouls, a little by a couple sore ankles and a little by Xavier's Alex Saxen.City High committed 26 turnovers."We were in a position to win," said Little Hawks Coach Bill McTaggart. "We've just got to take better care of the ball at the end of the game."Kayla Hyche added nine for the Little Hawks, including seven in a row as City took a 30-27 lead at the end of the third quarter. The Little Hawks kept the lead until Walvoord's heroics at the end.Tow tallied nine points for the Saints.City High returns to 42nd Street on Friday to face Cedar Rapids Kennedy. Xavier is at Iowa City West.

AT C.R. XAVIER

IOWA CITY HIGH (36): Kiera Washpun 2-3 1-2 5, Mickey Hansche 2-5 0-0 4, Kelsey Coleman 0-0 0-0 0, Virginia Johnson 8-12 0-2 16, Kayla Hyche 4-6 0-0 9, Sierra Chambers 0-0 0-0 0, Harper Beasley 1-1 0-0 2, Erin Danielson 0-0 0-0 0, Haley Lorenzen 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 17-31 1-4 36.

C.R. XAVIER (37): Annie Dale 2-4 1-1 5, Alex Saxen 2-8 0-0 4, Tyler Sampson 1-3 0-0 2, Emily Walvoord 5-9 2-3 12, Krissi Tow 4-10 1-2 9, Alex Bartz 0-3 0-0 0, Katlyn Andersen 1-3 3-4 5, Sarah Dickes 0-0 0-0 0, Lisa Boomgarden 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 15-40 7-10 37.

Halftime: City High 19, Xavier 18.

Team fouls: City High 12, Xavier 11.

Fouled out: none.

3-point goals: City High 1-6 (Hansche 0-2, Johnson 0-1, Hyche 1-3), Xavier 0-4 (Saxen 0-2, Andersen 0-2).

Rebounds: City High 20 (Johnson, Hyche 4), Xavier 21 (Walvoord 6).

Assists: City High 8 (Hansche 3), Xavier 7 (three with 2).

Steals: City High 7 (Washpun 3), Xavier 13 (Dale 3).

Turnovers: City High 26, Xavier 20.