Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – In consecutive double-digit losses to Dubuque Hempstead and Cedar Falls last week when West High got down it couldn’t find a way to fight back.

For the second time in as many games the Trojans battled back off the canvas on Friday.

Pete Moe scored 15 of his game-high 23 points in the second half as West High fought back from a 12-point halftime deficit to down City High 68-62 in a cross-town battle at West High.

“We just had to man up and fight,” Moe said. “Against Cedar Falls we got down and we kind of gave up and the whole emphasis in practice this week was to not give up when adversity hits you have to fight through it.”

On Tuesday West High bounced back from a seven-point halftime deficit to knock off fourth-ranked Cedar Rapids Prairie.

Friday West High again found some fight late closing the game on a 17-6 run while improving to 9-2 on the season.

“We at least battled Tuesday, we played not very smart at the end of that game but we battled and we battled tonight,” West High coach Steve Bergman said. “All I said at the half is we weren’t giving very much effort and the second half we battled.”

Entering on a four-game losing streak City High (4-8) came out swinging on Friday.

The Little Hawks trailed 22-16 two minutes into the second quarter but closed the first half on a 16-0 run that spanned the final 5:32.

Shamar Benton had eight points during the 16-0 burst that saw City High convert West High turnovers and missed shots into transition baskets.

City High led 49-36 with 1:27 left in the third quarter when senior TaeShon McDaniels converted a bucket in the paint.

West High fought back.

Moe scored back-to-back baskets to spark a 6-0 run to close the quarter that concluded with a Ben Hoefer bucket that bust beat the buzzer.

“I didn’t play my best in the first half and the second half we got together and said we had to fight,” Moe said. “We just manned up and came back.”

West High opened the fourth quarter with a 7-0 run that tied the game at 49 but City High answered with a 5-0 spurt of its own.

The Little Hawks led 56-51 after a McDaniels putback with 4:06 left.

West High had the final run, a burst that was sparked by a three-pointer by senior point guard Christian Barnes.

“That was a big shot but we were still down,” Barnes said. “I think that maybe gave us a little boost.”

West High pulled even on a Kareem Earl driving layup and the teams went back and forth until the final 90 seconds.

Moe gave City High a 64-62 lead with a pair of free throws with 36 seconds left and Barnes hit four straight from the line in the final 26 seconds to put the game away.

“This game is huge, it’s a cross-town rival but this is just prepping us for the rest of the year,” Barnes said. “Hopefully this helps us going down the road.”

Freshman Jack McCaffery and Earl each had 13 points for West High and Barnes finished with 11 to compliment the game-high 23 from Moe who also grabbed 11 rebounds.

“Jack was sick tonight and he was a man tonight and toughed it through,” Moe said. “Kareem was doing his thing and getting to the rim and finishing and I had a pretty good second half.”

Jamari Newson was excellent for City High finishing with 20 points and five rebounds while Benton had 13 points.

Darren Richardson had nine points and Jovan Harris had 11 rebounds for the Little Hawks.

City High                   16  18  15  13  –  62

West High                  18   4   20  26  –  68

City High (62) – Trey Wright 1-4 3-3 5, Evan Lampe 1-2 0-0 2, TaeVeon Stevens 0-3 0-0 0, Shamar Benton 5-11 3-4 13, Jovan Harris 2-7 0-0 4, Darren Richardson 4-8 1-2 9, Jamari Newson 8-14 4-5 20, Jay Kennedy 1-1 1-2 3, Matt Schaeckenbach 0-1 0-0 0, Taeshon McDaniels 3-6 0-0 6, 25-57 12-16 62.

West High (68) – Christian Barnes 3-6 4-5 11, Jacob Koch 2-10 0-0 6, Brady Simcox 0-1 0-0 0, Pete Moe 7-16 9-14 23, Jack McCaffery 6-9 0-0 13, Kareem Earl 6-10 0-0 13, Ben Hoefer 1-1 0-0 2, Totals 25-53 13-19 68.

3-point field goals – ICH 0-11 (Wright 0-1, Lampe 0-1, Stevens 0-3, Benton 0-1, Harris 0-1, Richardson 0-3, Schaeckenbach 0-1), ICW 5-16 (Barnes 1-2, Koch 2-6, Simcox 0-1, Moe 0-1, McCaffery 1-3, Earl 1-3). Rebounds – ICH 32 (Harris 11), ICW 31 (Moe 11). Turnovers – ICH 6, ICW 9. Total fouls – ICH 14, ICW 12. Fouled out – ICH (Richardson). Technical fouls – None.

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