Five Takeaways: Cedar Rapids Prairie at North Scott
Ty Anderson ELDRIDGE — An early season battle between a pair of top-10 teams in Class 4A lived up to the hype on Friday night, with No. 3 North Scott outlasting No. 10 Cedar Rapids Prairie, 57-53. In a game…
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Continue ReadingELDRIDGE — An early season battle between a pair of top-10 teams in Class 4A lived up to the hype on Friday night, with No. 3 North Scott outlasting No. 10 Cedar Rapids Prairie, 57-53.
In a game that neither team led by more than six points, it was the home team that came out on top, behind the strength of their Division I forward, Ty Anderson, and an improved defensive effort against Prairie’s standout Murray twins.
Trailing 28-23 at the half, North Scott started the second half strong with a 15-5 run to take a 38-33 lead. The teams went back-and-forth for most of the second half before the Lancers eventually took control of the contest about midway through the fourth quarter. A poor showing at the free throw line from North Scott (5-13 in the fourth quarter) kept Prairie alive, but it was the Lancers’ defensive effort that won them this game, forcing the Hawks into tough shots the entire second half.
North Scott (1-0) was led by Ty Anderson, who had 18 points and 11 rebounds in the win. The Northern Iowa commit scored 11 of his 18 points in the second half. Sam Kilburg added 12 points (10 in the second half) in the win, while Cortaviaus Seales and Landon Eiland each chipped in nine points.
Prairie (0-1) was led by Kris Murray, who scored a game-high 24 points, 14 coming in the first half. He was slowed in the second half, shooting just 4-10 from the floor in the final 16 minutes after a 5-7 start. His twin brother, Keegan, chipped in 15, but no other Hawk scored more than four points.
Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | F |
Cedar Rapids Prairie | 15 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 53 |
North Scott | 14 | 9 | 18 | 16 | 57 |
Individual scoring
Cedar Rapids Prairie: Kris Murray 24, Keegan Murray 15, Logan Burg 4, Harrison Cook 3, Jonathan Mullins 3, Gabe Burkle 2, Garrett Pietnok 2
North Scott: Ty Anderson 18, Sam Kilburg 12, Cortaviaus Seales 9, Landon Eiland 9, Reece Sommers 5, Carson Rollinger 4
Ty Anderson’s rapid improvement
The 6-6 junior forward has always been oozing with potential, but he’s starting to put it all together, and it’s a ton of fun to watch. He’s one of the most athletic players in the state and is armed with great length and physical tools, and the skill set is catching up in a hurry. On multiple occasions throughout the game, he pulled down a defensive rebound and led the break, showing off a much improved handle, with crossovers and behind the back moves to get to the rim on the break for finishes. He has great touch around the rim, quick feet and a pretty solid stroke at the free throw line. The next step in his development, and it’s something he’s constantly working on already, is adding some range to his shot. He finished with 18 points on 7-11 shooting to go with 11 rebounds (four offensive). If he plays like this on a nightly basis, the Lancers may be the best team in Class 4A.
Cedar Rapids Prairie’s length
The Hawks are loaded with size this year, with their starting lineup on Friday night of Keegan Murray, Kris Murray, Logan Burg, Harrison Cook and Gabe Burkle going 6-8, 6-7, 6-0, 6-5 and 6-7, respectively. And this isn’t traditional size, as each of these players are very athletic, long and skilled. The Murray twins are obviously going to be the headliners all season, and rightfully so, but as this young and inexperienced team continues to grow and gain confidence, they could become deadly on both ends of the floor.
Forget top 10, these teams may both be top 5 in Class 4A
We already had North Scott ranked among the top 3 in the class, but Prairie was extremely impressive on both ends of the floor and may have an argument for being a top 5 team in the class, despite the loss. The Murray twins look like they’re on a mission, scoring from everywhere, and this group has a ton of athleticism, length and skill. As they gain experience, watch out. North Scott is one of the most disciplined teams in the state on an annual basis, and this group will be no exception. They won this opener against a really good team with leading returnee Cortaviaus Seales not having a particularly good game. All of the pieces fit together really well, they’re going to defend and they have a potential star blossoming in Ty Anderson who can dominate games on either end.
Sam Kilburg takes over
A talented guard took over the game in the third quarter for North Scott, but it wasn’t Cortaviaus Seales, who most people would expect. Instead, it was another skilled Lancer junior, 5-11 Sam Kilburg, who scored eight points in the third quarter to help the Lancers take the lead and was more aggressive than I’ve ever seen him. He averaged just 6.6 points a game last season, but wanted the ball in his hands in the second half and showed the ability to score in a multitude of ways. He got to the rim for finishes, finished through contact and connected on a 3-ball as he briefly took over the game and kept North Scott afloat when they really needed it.
It’s really nice to have basketball back
Is there anything better than sitting in a packed gym on a Friday night, watching a pair of top 10 teams going at it for 32 minutes? This was a high level basketball game, and damn it’s good to have hoops back.