Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

CEDAR RAPIDS – Winning games by an average of 18 points per game West High hasn’t spent a lot of time playing from behind this season.

The Trojans have even less experience in bouncing back from a loss.

West High had to do both on Saturday night against Cedar Rapids Prairie.

In its first action since a 55-54 loss to Cedar Falls on Tuesday Class 4A top-ranked West High erased an eight-point first-half deficit to down Prairie 65-55 in the finale of the Wells Fargo Advisors Shootout at the US Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids.

With the win West High avoided its first back-to-back losses since 2911.

“We didn’t want to lose two games in a row,” West High junior point guard Dante Eldridge said. “Coach was telling us that West hasn’t lost two games in a row in eight years and we didn’t want to be that group that did that so we just set the tone and played hard and we got the win.”

Patrick McCaffery scored 18 of his game-high 24 points after halftime and Eldridge added 19 points as West High improved to 11-1 with its second win of the season over Prairie.

West High trailed by eight twice in the first half but scored 25 points while hitting all nine of its field goal attempts in the second quarter and took a 32-28 lead on corner 3-pointer by Seybian Sims that beat the halftime buzzer.

The Trojans then turned up the defense after halftime holding Prairie to six points in the third quarter while building a 12-point lead.

“We really got after the ball and started pressuring the ball and denying their wings,” McCaffery said. “All their stuff is predicated on dribble penetration and we kept Griff Clark out of the lane.”

It wasn’t always pretty for West High.

Coming off its first loss since February 18 of last season the Trojans were tight early, going 2-of-5 from the floor with five turnovers in a seven-point first quarter.

“You take your first loss when you haven’t lost in 10 months I don’t think they handled it very well,” West coach Steve Bergman said. “What I did like it was a little more of a gutsy win than a brainy win for sure.”

West High battled back quickly, using an 9-0 run capped by a Jayson Barnes 3-pointer to take its first lead at 18-17.

Eldridge and Sims hit 3-pointers in the final minute of the second quarter to put West High up 32-28.

The junior point guard had 13 of his 19 points in the opening half to keep West High afloat offensive.

“At the beginning we were a little nervous but we talked about it and relaxed and we stuck to the plan,” Eldridge said. “That’s what helped us get through tonight.”

West High opened the third quarter on an 8-0 run that featured six points from McCaffery including a one-handed jam in transition following an Evan Flitz steal.

Prairie never got closer than six points the rest of the game.

“It all started on the defensive end,” McCaffery said. “We really got after them in the second quarter so that’s really what led to us making our run and eventually taking the lead and we never looked back.”

West High                               7   25  14  19  –  65

Cedar Rapids Prairie              12  16   6   21  –  55

West High (65) – Dante Eldridge 5-9 5-6 19, Evan Flitz 0-2 0-0 0, Seybian Sims 2-2 3-4 8, Jake Anderson 1-1 1-2 3, Dadrian Hoambrecker 3-4 1-2 7, Patrick McCaffery 10-14 4-5 24, Jayson Barnes 1-3 1-2 4, Team 22-35 15-21 65.

Cedar Rapids Prairie (55) – Keegan Murray 5-15 5-5 18, Kris Murray 6-11 0-2 15, Griff Clark 0-6 3-4 3, Logan Burg 1-1 0-0 2, Matt Walter 1-2 0-0 3, Levi Usher 0-1 0-0 0, Harrison Cook 4-7 2-2 10, Mason Hook 2-6 0-0 4, Team 19-49 10-13 55.

3-point field goals – ICW 6-12 (Eldridge 4-5, Flitz 0-2, Sims 1-1, McCaffery 0-1, Barnes 1-3); CRP 7-17 (Ke. Murray 3-7, Kr. Murray 3-6, Clark 0-1, Walter 1-2, Cook 0-1). Rebounds – ICW 25 (McCaffery 9); CRP (Ke. Murray 7). Turnovers – ICW 14; CRP 14. Total fouls – ICW 15; CRP 16. Fouled out – None. Technical fouls – None.