Metro Sports Report

Saints eye Wahlert in 3A semifinals

DES MOINES - The Xavier Saints defeated Dubuque Wahlert, 78-74, in the final game of the regular season three weeks ago at Xavier.

If the Saints beat the 2014 state champions again Thursday, they'll be playing for the Class 3A state title themselves Saturday night.

Xavier (17-8) and Wahlert (16-9) clash in the 3A semifinals Thursday at 8:15 p.m. at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. Williamsburg (24-1) plays LeMars (21-4) in the other semifinal at 6:35 p.m.

The winners meet Saturday at 6:05 p.m. for the crown.

Xavier had never won a game at the boys state tournament until it held on to defeat Pella, 65-61, Tuesday night in the opening round. Now the Saints have a rematch with Wahlert in the biggest game of the year so far.

Xavier Coach Ryan Luehrsmann predicted three weeks ago that the Saints and Golden Eagles might see each other again in Des Moines. Now it's here.

"I feel great about it," Luehrsmann said Tuesday night. "That means we're in the semifinals of the Class 3A state tournament. We're really looking forward to playing them again.

Saints, Cougars could win state titles

The Xavier Saints and Kennedy Cougars could win boys state basketball titles this week in Des Moines if they play well and take advantage of the big 94-foot court at Wells Fargo Arena.

On the other hand, both teams could lose in the first round if they get stage fright and kick it around.

Here's betting it will be a fun week in Des Moines for Xavier and Kennedy, which have more in common than simply a campus that borders 42nd Street NE in Cedar Rapids.

The Saints and Cougars are mirror-images of each other in many ways.

Both teams have balanced attacks with lots of explosive players who are capable of scoring 20 points in a ballgame (and have).

Michael Mims wins Metro Spotlight Award

Xavier senior Michael Mims is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school boys this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Mims, a 5-foot-11 guard, is a key member of the Xavier basketball team that will take an eight-game winning streak into the opening round of the Class 3A state tournament Tuesday night at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

The Saints (16-8) will face Pella (21-2) at 8:15 p.m. Tuesday.

Mims has played some of his best basketball of the season in the postseason tournament. He averaged 16.3 points in playoff victories against Benton Community, Solon and Mount Vernon and contributed seven assists, seven rebounds and five steals.

Mims is averaging 10.3 points overall for the high-scoring Saints, who also feature Adam McDermott (17.7 points), Mitchell Burger (13.9) and Calvin Winker (12.7). He is shooting 46.9 percent overall from the field, 44.9 percent on 3-pointers and 75 percent at the foul line.

Mims has made 44 3-pointers in 24 games and has scored in double figures 11 times, including the last four games in a row. He scored a season-high 21 points in the playoff victory against Benton Community and had 20 points against Prairie. He collected seven assists in a victory over Linn-Mar and had four steals in several games.

Mims transferred from Prairie to Xavier last spring. He averaged 13.7 points as a junior at Prairie last year.

Mims received Honorable Mention on the all-Metro and all-conference teams this year.

Kirkwood women earn trip to nationals

Taylor Silva was so incredibly happy Saturday that she cried for several minutes after the Kirkwood Eagles beat NIACC for the regional title and earned a spot in the junior college national tournament.

Silva had just about composed herself when they announced she had been named the Most Valuable Player of the Region XI tournament. That brought more tears and more smiles for the 5-foot-5 sophomore from Bellevue, Neb.

"I wasn't expecting it, nor did I think it would happen," Silva said after collecting her MVP award. "It was pretty exciting. I was expecting somebody else to win it."