Xavier Girls Basketball

Xavier girls falter at end to I.C West

Until the roof caved in on them in the fourth quarter, the Cedar Rapids Xavier girls gave Iowa City West a tough fight at home Friday night.

The Saints fell 46-38, but the game was tied at 35-all with six minutes to go.

“They went to a zone and we chucked the ball too much,” said Xavier Coach Tom Lilly. “We made too many bad passes and too many bad decisions.”

And they were facing Women of Troy all-stater Ally Disterhoft, whom Lilly has already annointed “Miss Iowa Basketball” for this season.

With the scored tied, the rangy 6-foot senior hit two free throws, then a 3-pointer, then some more free throws. She also stole a pass and blocked a Saints 3-point shot.

Next thing you knew, West was leading 46-35.

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Bertsch leads Xavier girls past Jeff

Maddie Bertsch scored 12 points, Sarah Dickes added 10 and Xavier's pressure defense helped the Saints beat Jefferson, 53-47, Tuesday night in a Mississippi Valley Conference girls basketball game at Xavier's Ron Thillen Gymnasium.

Leading the Saints to victory was the factor “we pressured the ball well, made steals after our turnovers, and hit some shots,” Coach Tom Lilly said after the contest.  “At halftime we talked about taking care of the basketball and making better choices."

Xavier scored the first five points of the second half after the teams were tied, 22-22, at halftime.

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Dowling puts the clamps on Xavier girls

Ever the tactician, Xavier girls basketball coach Tim Lilly said the sole purpose of Saturday’s home matinee with mighty West Des Moines Dowling was to get ready for February.

“The reason we schedule games like this is to get us better prepared for the tournament at the end of the year,” the savvy veteran coach said after watching his Saints fall 47-33 in the opening contest of a boy/girl doubleheader.  “That’s why we’re going to Assumption in two weeks. We want to play the best non-conference schedule possible.”

For the rigors of post-season play, Lilly couldn’t have picked a better tune-up than the Maroons of Dowling Catholic.

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Stulken's clutch shot lifts Xavier girls

DUBUQUE - Ashley Stulken hit a hook shot at the buzzer Friday night to give the Xavier Saints a 34-33 victory over Dubuque Hempstead in a Mississippi Valley Conference game at Dubuque.

Hempstead (2-4) took a 33-32 lead with two free throws, but Stulken answered for the victory.

Stulken led Xavier (5-1) with 10 points. Kayla Armstrong, Sarah Dickes and Lizzy Bailey scored six points apiece.

Hempstead led at halftime in the low-scoring game, 14-10.

XAVIER (34): Armstrong 3 0-3 6, Breitbach 1 0-0 2, Deutmeyer 0 1-2 1, Dickes 2 2-2 6, Deignan 0 0-0 0, Watson 0 0-0 0, Bertsch 0 1-3 1, Bailey 2 0-0 6, Andersen 0 0-0 0, Chorzempa 0 0-0 0, Boomgarden 1 0-0 2, Stulken 5 0-0 10. Totals 14 4-10 34.

Halftime - Hempstead 14, Xavier 10. 3-point goals - Xavier 2 (Bailey 2).