Susan Harman

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – The sixth-ranked City High girls basketball team made nine of its last 10 free throws in the final 1:31 of play and held off No. 12 Cedar Rapids Washington to win 60-54 Wednesday night at City.

The victory gave the Little Hawks (17-2 overall) the Mississippi Valley Conference divisional championship with a 13-1 league record. It is the seventh consecutive title for the Little Hawks.

“It’s something that some people just dream of, and it’s unreal to actually be living it,” City High junior Rose Nkumu said. “The teams that have gone through here and the players, it’s the camaraderie and the ability to play basketball and trust each other and get wins.”

“Most of us grew up playing together so we have a lot of chemistry,” City High junior Paige Rocca said. “Then we get up to here and everybody wants a championship. We all have the same goals, and we’re all working together.”

City High coach Bill McTaggart said the seven in a row were the result of “a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work and a lot of talent.”

City High’s game with Cedar Falls, cancelled due to poor weather on Monday, will not be made up, leaving the Tigers with a 12-1 mark as all 5A teams head into tournament play. Washington finishes the regular season 15-5 overall and 11-4 in MVC play.

The Little Hawks started strong and led by as many as 14 points in the second quarter when the Warriors’ star freshman post, Hannah Stuelke, had to go to the bench with three fouls. But the Warriors weathered that loss and were within 12 at halftime even though it appeared they were ready to be blown out.

Two Caitlyn Riley threes in the final minutes of the quarter helped keep the Warriors afloat.

Even with Stuelke back City High led 47-34 after three quarters. But Washington scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter and scored in six of its first seven possessions.

 “We definitely felt a little bit of something,” Rocca said. “It happens.”

McTaggart thought his team was a bit tired and bit hesitant when Washington made its run.

“I thought we got a little tight,” he said. “We knew it was for the conference championship, and they’re a really good team. We were lucky to get their post player in foul trouble in the first half.”

“I think on defense we lost focus and didn’t talk, and they got some easy baskets,” City High’s Aubrey Joens said.

While the Warriors were scoring the Little Hawks committed two turnovers and missed all four shots they took.

 “I think we lacked a little communication,” Nkumu said. “They took advantage of that and got their momentum in full swing. It didn’t get to us too quickly; I think we were able to stay calm.”

Leading only 47-43, City High took timeout. After the timeout Joens scored on a drive where she snaked her way through several bodies to reach the basket.

A three from Isabel Truemper cut the lead to three, but Nkumu threaded a pass inside to Ella Cook to bump the lead back to five.

After a couple empty possessions at both ends the parade to the foul line began, and City High cashed in.

Eviyon Richardson made 1-of-2, and Joens and Nkumu each made 4-of-4. Free-throw shooting was the difference as City High made 11-of-13 and Washington only 6-of-15.

 “After every practice we always end with 10 or more free throws,” Nkumu said. “We chart them and we do them when we’re tired, so I think that helps us. I think tonight we were just in the zone.”

 “What I like about this team is throughout the season when things have gotten tight in the fourth quarter they come through,” McTaggart said. “Tonight they gave us a test, but at the end we hit our free throws and we’ve done that all season.”

City plays host to Muscatine (8-12) at 7 p.m. Saturday to open tournament play.

CR Washington         9  10  15  20  –  54

City High                    18  13  16  13  –  60

CR Washington (54) – Caitlyn Riley 5-12 0-0 12, Isabel Truemper 1-7 0-0 3, Sandra Mia 6-10 5-8 17, Hannah Stuelke 7-12 1-7 15, Sydney Mitvalsky 3-11 0-0 7, Marek McBride 0-1 0-0 0, Sydney Engledow 0-0 0-0 0, Aerionna Thomas 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-53 6-15.

City High (60) – Rose Nkumu 7-13 5-5 20, Eviyon Richardson 1-3 1-2 3, Ella Cook 2-6 1-2 5, Paige Rocca 4-9 0-0 10, Aubrey Joens 8-18 4-4 22, CeCe Kelly-Harvey 0-0 0-0 0, Andie Westlake 0-0 0-0 0, Totals 22-49 11-13.

3-point goals – CRW 4-18 (Riley 2-5, Truemper 1-6, Mia 0-1, Stuelke 0-1, Mitvalsky 1-5), ICH 5-16 (Nkumu 1-1, Richardson 0-1, Cook 0-3, Rocca 2-5, Joens 2-6). Total fouls – CRW 16, ICH 12. Fouled out: None.