Xavier Boys Basketball

Xavier trimmed by Dowling, 53-50

WEST DES MOINES - Sophomore Matt Nelson scored 12 points and Kevin Hosch added 10 Saturday as the Xavier Saints lost a tight game at Dowling Catholic, 53-50.

Amara Darboh led Dowling (2-3) with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

Xavier dropped to 0-4 for the campaign.

XAVIER (50): Sampson 2 0-0 6, McDermott 2 2-5 7, Ropp 2 0-0 6, Frazier 0 0-0 0, Hosch 5 0-0 10, Valentine 1 2-4 4, Clasen 1 0-0 2, Mattke 1 0-0 3, Nelson 6 0-0 12. Totals 20 4-5 50.

DOWLING (53): Hughes 2 2-2 6, Hetherton 0 0-0 0, Hartlieb 0 0-0 0, Darboh 7 4-4 19, Haack 4 2-2 11, Green 3 0-0 7, Austin 1 1-2 4, Wisnieski 3 0-0 6. Totals 20 9-10 53.

Halftime - Xavier 24, Dowling 24. 3-point goals—C.R. Xavier 6 (Sampson 2, Ropp 2, Mattke, McDermott, ), Dowling Catholic 4 (Darboh, Haack, Green, Austin). Fouls—C.R. Xavier 13, Dowling Catholic 8.

Cougars rally late to beat Xavier boys

Kennedy erased a six-point Xavier lead in the final four minutes of the game and the 10th-ranked Cougars beat the Saints, 54-45, Friday night in a Mississippi Valley Conference boys basketball game at Xavier.

Josh Jahlas knocked down an 8-foot jumper and made 6-of-6 free throws down the stretch as Kennedy used solid ball pressure to force the Saints into crucial turnovers.

“We work on clutch free throws in every practice every day,” said Jahlas, who spent much of the third quarter on the bench because of his own foul trouble.  “Despite our foul problems, we stayed calm and played defense.  When the free throws came, I just stepped up and shot them.”

“Jahlas is our glue,” said Kennedy Coach Bob Fontana.  He’s just a mentally tough kid who gives us everything he’s got.  Those free throws were critical.”

Trevor Heitland led Kennedy (3-0, 1-0) with 11 points and Cody Bell and Jahlas put up 10 apiece.  In the first half the Cougars held the Saints without a field goal for a nine-minute stretch.

Foul trouble became an issue for Kennedy in the second period and Xavier's Mack Mattke warmed up for nine first half points to pull the Saints within four points at halftime.

“We began the game playing good defense,” explained Heitland, “but they are a big team that kept working back into the game.  This game was a good experience for us.”

“When we began to sub, we were putting young kids in there that don’t have a lot of varsity experience," said Fontana.  “Then we had to play some zone because of our fouls and we just didn’t match up too well some of the time.  In the end, our defense won the game and our seniors stepped up down the stretch.”

Xavier (0-3, 0-1) was led in scoring by Ben McDermott with 10 points. Mattke had nine.

“We did what we need to do to win the game,” said Xavier Coach Matt Jenkins.  “We just couldn’t sustain it.  Our defense did a pretty good job, but Kennedy’s ball pressure was just too much for us in the last four minutes."

Kennedy's net game is Tuesday at Dubuque Senior. Xavier plays at West Des Moines Dowling on Saturday.

KENNEDY (54): Hayden 2 0-0 6, Heitland 4 2-6 11, Jahlas 2 6-6 10, Bell 3 2-2 10, Christians 3 3-5 9, Struss 4 0-0 8, Martin 0 0-0 0, Carter 0 0-0 0, Fergus 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 13-19 54.

XAVIER (45): Sampson 2 1-1 7, McDermott 3 2-2 10, Hosch 3 0-0 6, Valentine 0 0-0 0, Mattke 3 2-2 9, Clasen 2 3-4 8, Nelson 2 1-2 5, Ropp 0 0-0 0, Frazier 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 10-11 45.

Halftime — Kennedy 19 Xavier 15. 3-point goals — Kennedy 5 (Heitland 1, Hayden 2, Bell 2)  Xavier 5 (Sampson 2, McDermott 2, Mattke 1) Fouled out -- None.

Hosch scores 23 in Saints loss

Cedar Rapids Xavier met Waverly-Shell Rock in a slugfest, seesaw battle Saturday night at Xavier High School. After all the punches and counterpunches were thrown it was the Saints that came up short, dropping a very physical game, 73-63.

“It is what is is, you can’t have every call go your way,” said Xavier Coach Matt Jenkins, whose team was whistled for 22 fouls compared to 12 for Waverly-Shell Rock. “The fouls were not a factor. They made shots at the end.”

Xavier (0-2) trailed 46-44 going into the fourth quarter but quickly retook the lead behind an offensive surge from senior Kevin Hosch. After the momentum swung to the Saints the Go-Hawks took it back for good with two big 3-pointers. The six-point swing gave the Go-Hawks a five-point lead that they never gave back.

“Anytime you hit a three, get a stop, and convert it helps any team,” Jenkins said. “To go from down one to up five is huge.”

Trailing late in the game the Saints were forced to start fouling intentionally to conserve time. Waverly-Shell Rock left the door open, missing some key free throws down the stretch,  but Xavier was unable to get quality looks and the Go-Hawks pulled away.

After a dead even first quarter the Saints managed to gain a 29-26 edge going into halftime.

Coming out of the locker rooms the Saints looked like they might seize control. Waverly-Shell Rock had other ideas going on a 7-0 run to retake the lead. The Go-Hawks shut down Hosch in the quarter and hit a three in the final seconds to take a 46-44 lead.

Hosch lead the Saints with 23 points. Senior Mack Mattke added 13.

Waverly-Shell Rock star Conner Coleman was denied the ball most of the game, but still managed 14 points for the Go-Hawks. Klinton Carlson lead all scorers with 25.

“We wanted other people to make decisions,” Jenkins said on their game plan for Coleman. “He is a great player and finds his teammates well.”

WAVERLY-SHELL ROCK (73): Klinton Carlson 7 10-18 25, Tyler Willis 1 0-0 3, Conner Coleman 3 7-8 14, Matt Mummelthei 1 0-0 2, Jesse Hendrickson 6 1-2 13, Cole Chesnut 1 0-0 3, Jake Velky 1 2-3 5, Jake Englin, 0 0-0 0, Alex Moerer 0 0-0 0, Daniel Stensland 1 6-6 8. Totals 21 26-37 73.

XAVIER (63): Trey Sampson 1 0-0 3, Ben McDermott 4 1-2 11, Kevin Hosch 9 3-4 23, Carter Valentine 3 1-3 7, Mack Mattke 4 5-6 13, Alec Clasen 0 0-0 0, Matt Nelson 3 0-0 6, Tanner Frazier 0 0-0 0. Team 24 10-15 63.

Halftime – Waverly-Shell Rock 26 Xavier 29. 3-Point Goals – Waverly-Shell Rock 5 (Carlson, Coleman, Willis, Chesnut, Velky) Xavier 5 (Sampson, McDermott 2, Hosch 2). Total Fouls – Waverly-Shell Rock 12, Xavier 22. Fouled out – McDermott.

Saints fall at Mount Pleasant in OT

MOUNT PLEASANT - Ben McDermott saved Xavier once, but he couldn't save them again.

McDermott scored with five seconds left in the fourth quarter to force overtime Tuesday, but Mount Pleasant regrouped and topped the Saints 68-65 in the season opener.

Mack Mattke led Xavier with 15 points. Kevin Hosch collected a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Matt Nelson finished with eight points and seven rebounds.

Jordan Ashton tossed in 29 points for Mount Pleasant.

XAVIER (65): Sampson 3 0-0 7, McDermott 3 2-6 8, Hosch 4 5-6 13, Valentine 3 0-0 6, Mattke 5 5-7 15, Clasen 3 1-4 8, Nelson 3 2-2 8. Totals 24 15-25 65.

MOUNT PLEASANT (68): Shull 1 2-4 4, Conrad 2 0-0 6, Frank 2 4-7 8, Ashton 8 9-11 29, Hanna 2 0-0 4, Vandenburg 2 0-3 6, Lyon 4 3-8 11. Totals 22 20-35 68.

Halftime - Mount Pleasant 29, Xavier 26. Regulation - Mount Pleasant 59, Xavier 59. 3-point goals - Xavier 2 (Sampson 1, Clasen 1), Mount Pleasant 4 (Conrad 2, Ashton 2).