Xavier’s hot shooting leads to district title over Solon 88-57

CEDAR RAPIDS - Patience paid off for the Cedar Rapids Xavier boys' basketball team.

A couple of hot hands certainly helped the Saints on Thursday night as they claimed a Class 3A district title by defeating Solon, 88-57, at Kennedy High School.

'We just wanted to play a disciplined, controlled style of ball,” said Xavier Coach Ryan Luehrsmann. 'I thought for the most part they did a good job.”

Mitch Burger found his shot early for the Saints. Burger scored 13 points in the first quarter, including a trio of 3-pointers. The junior finished the night with 25 points to tie his season high.

'The first shot just went down and my teammates were getting me the ball,” said Burger. 'We came out excited.”

The energy continued for Burger in the second quarter. The Spartans had cut the lead to 31-20, but Burger hit another trey and added a jumper to extend the Saints lead to 36-20.

'He's just champing at the bit during the week in practice to get to game night,” Luehrsmann said. 'I always ask him if he needs a break. He's never once told me that he needs a break.”

Xavier took a 44-29 lead into halftime but started a little sluggishly in the third quarter.

Solon's Jake Croons hit a 3-pointer and Emilio Villagrana hit another trey to cut the Saints lead to 48-37.

The Spartans rally fell short when the Saints' defense made a couple of key stops. Late in the third, Adam McDermott hit from beyond the arc on an assist from Burger to put the Saints back in control, 62-43.

'We've been moving the ball very well,” said McDermott, who finished with 24 points. 'It's been moving our offense well and we're playing well as a team.”

The Saints won their seventh straight game, and the 88 points against the Spartans marks a season high for Xavier.

'The chemistry was a little down at the beginning of the season,” McDermott said. 'We finally got that down and everyone is playing together. We're playing for each other.”