Xavier High School - Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Hot Saints knock off 2014 state champs

Mitchell Burger plays with a scowl on his face for the Xavier Saints, a 5-foot-10 dynamo with a refuse-to-lose mentality who doesn't let bigger guys get in his way.

It's become contagious.

The streaking Saints collected another big victory Thursday night when they knocked off seventh-ranked Dubuque Wahlert, 78-74, ending the regular season with a satisfying verdict over the 2014 Class 3A state champions.

Burger poured in 25 points, Adam McDermott netted 24 and Michael Mims chipped in with 15 as Xavier won its fifth straight game heading into the Class 3A district tournament next week.

The Saints were shuffling along with an 8-8 record two weeks ago, but now they're 13-8 and riding high. They upset the Linn-Mar Lions last week when the Lions were ranked No. 4 in Class 4A and now they've got a win over a Class 3A giant.

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Burger, McDermott lead Xavier over CF

CEDAR FALLS – Mitchell Burger scored 22 points and Adam McDermott added 19 points and five assists as the Xavier boys basketball team topped Cedar Falls, 62-57, Tuesday night in Cedar Falls.

Tra’Von Fagan scored 14 points and A.J. Green added 13 for the Tigers (13-7).

The Saints improved to 12-8. Calvin Winker had 10 points for Xavier. Burger and McDermott both made three 3-pointers.

XAVIER (62): Mims 3 1-3 9, McDermott 6 4-4 19, Burger 8 3-6 22, Ramlo 1 0-0 2, Welch 0 0-0 0, Downey 0 0-0 0, Stulken 0 0-0 0,  Winker 5 0-0 10. Totals 23 9-13 62.

CEDAR FALLS (57): Fagan 3 8-10 14, Harrington 3 0-0 6, Green 5 0-0 13, Abbas 2 0-0 4, Johnson 3 0-0 8, LaBeaux 5 0-0 10, Fienup 1 0-0 2, Leisinger 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 8-10 57.

Halftime – Xavier 32, Cedar Falls 28. 3-point goals – Xavier 7 (McDermott 3, Burger 3, Mims), Cedar Falls 5 (Green 3, Johnson 2).

Burger wins Metro Spotlight Award

Xavier junior Mitchell Burger is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school boys this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Burger has been a key player for the Xavier basketball team all season, but he's played some of his best basketball for the Saints the past three weeks.

He scored 21 points and grabbed four rebounds when Xavier upset Class 4A No. 4 Linn-Mar, 83-73, last Tuesday. Two games prior to that, he poured in 22 points against top-ranked Iowa City West.

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Xavier girls crush Waterloo East, 82-21

The Class 4A seventh-ranked Xavier girls basketball team wasted little time in beating up on winless Waterloo East, topping the Trojans 82-21 Friday at Xavier.

Xavier led 22-2 after the first quarter.

Lizzy Bailey scored 12 points as 14 Saints scored. Madi Nelson and Meghan Joens each added 10 points.

Xavier improved to 15-6, while Waterloo East fell to 0-21.

WATERLOO EAST (21): Individuals not available. Totals 8 5-6 21.

XAVIER (82): Bastian 0 1-2 1, Bailey 4 3-3 12, Noonan 3 1-1 7, Albert 0 0-0 0, Andersen 3 0-0 6, Breitbach 3 0-0 6, Christianson 1 2-2 4, Dickes 2 2-2 6, Nelson 5 0-0 10, Kadlec 0 1-2 1, Brown 1 2-2 4, Stovie 1 0-0 2, Drahozal 3 1-2 8, Ivester 2 1-1 5, Joens 5 0-0 10. Totals 33 14-17 82.

Halftime – Xavier 50, Waterloo East 10. 3-point goals – Waterloo East 0, Xavier 2 (Bailey, Drahozal).