Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Game of the Week

5A No. 3 City High (2-0) at 5A No. 1 Cedar Falls (2-0)

One of the most anticipated regular season games of the year comes just two weeks into the season.

City High travels to defending 5A runner-up Cedar Falls on for a rematch of last year’s 5A quarterfinal won by the Tigers 48-46 after the Little Hawks won last year’s regular season meeting 62-40 in Iowa City.

Cedar Falls opened the season with wins over Dubuque Hempstead and Cedar Rapids Washington by an average of 22 points and has four players averaging double-digits led by sophomore guard Emerson Green (21 ppg).

The Tigers feature a pair of Northern Iowa commits in 6-foot-2 senior Kiana Barney (11.5 ppg) and Linn-Mar transfer Kamryn Finley (14 ppg).

City High won its first two games by an average of nearly 40 points behind the trio of Ashley Joens (31 ppg), Aubrey Joens (12 ppg) and Rose Nkumu (11 ppg).

Other Games to Watch

West Branch at Solon: Two former Eastern Iowa Hawkeye conference members meet in a non-conference matchup on Thursday.

West High at Hopkins (Minnesota): West High hits the road to face the top-ranked team in Minnesota’s Class 4A at the Breakdown Invitational in Minnetonka on Saturday.

Regina at Wilton: A sneaky Saturday afternoon road game for Regina against a Wilton team that can contend for one of the top spots in the RVC South.

Player to Watch

Paige Bueckers, Soph., Hopkins

It’s a drive to watch West High take on two-time Minnesota Class 4A defending runner-up Hopkins but those fans that do make the trip will get a glimpse at Bueckers who is considered one of the top players in the state.

A 5-foot-10 sophomore point guard Bueckers has garnered recruiting interest from perennial power Connecticut and is ranked the sixth best sophomore in the nation by ESPN Hoop Gurlz.

Who’s Hot

Ashley Joens, Sr., City High

Joens is used to putting up big numbers but through two games this season the Iowa State recruit has out done even her own lofty expectations.

The 5-foot-10 senior is averaging 31 points, 11 rebounds and four steals through two games and is coming off a 36-point, 15-rebound performance against Cedar Rapids Kennedy.

Schedule

Tuesday

5A No. 2 West High (3-0) at CR Kennedy (1-2)

5A No. 3 City High (2-0) at 5A No. 13 CR Prairie (3-1)

Mid-Prairie (2-0) at 2A No. 6 Regina (1-2)

Solon (2-2) at Central DeWitt (2-1)

Benton Community (0-4) at Clear Creek Amana (0-3)

Tipton (0-2) at West Branch (1-2)

Thursday

West Branch (1-2) at Solon (2-2)

Friday

5A No. 3 City High (2-0) at 5A No. 1 Cedar Falls (2-0)

West Liberty (0-3) at 2A No. 6 Regina (1-2)

4A No. 9 Western Dubuque (3-0) at Solon (2-2)

Clear Creek Amana (0-3) at 4A No. 3 Center Point-Urbana (4-0)

Saturday

5A No. 2 West High (3-0) at Hopkins (Minn) (1-0)

4A No. 3 Center Point-Urbana (3-0) at Liberty (1-3)

2A No. 6 Regina (1-2) at Wilton (3-1)