CEDAR RAPIDS — It was a tale of two halves on the northeast side of Cedar Rapids on Tuesday night, as Cedar Falls built a huge lead, saw it nearly evaporate, then held on for a 56-51 win over Cedar…
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Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log inCEDAR RAPIDS — It was a tale of two halves on the northeast side of Cedar Rapids on Tuesday night, as Cedar Falls built a huge lead, saw it nearly evaporate, then held on for a 56-51 win over Cedar Rapids Washington.
The Tigers came out of the gates playing high-level basketball in the opening quarter, jumping out to a 17-4 lead after the first eight minutes. They looked like an elite defensive team, and had 6 assists on their 6 made field goals. The strong play continued throughout the second quarter, and they took a 32-16 lead into the half. The second half was an entirely different story, as the small but quick and athletic Warriors looked to attack the rim routinely. They got into the bonus with over 4 minutes left in the third quarter and used their constant attacking to put pressure on the Tigers guards and big men.
With 1:52 remaining in the game, Washington was able to get the lead down to 4 points, 50-46, but they were never able to get within one possession. The hole they dug in the first half was too much to overcome and their comeback effort fell short, as Cedar Falls guard
Trey Campbell
Trey
Campbell
6'4" | PG
Cedar Falls | 2022
State
IA
simply took over the game down the stretch, finishing with 12 points in the fourth quarter to help hold the Warriors off.
Cedar Falls (6-2) was led by
Trey Campbell
Trey
Campbell
6'4" | PG
Cedar Falls | 2022
State
IA
, who had 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in a dominating effort on both ends of the floor. Junior wing
Dallas Bear
Dallas
Bear
6'8" | SF
Cedar Falls | 2023
State
#276
Nation
IA
chipped in 16 points in the win.
Washington (4-6) was led by JJ Willis, who had 12 points.
Traijan Sain
Traijan
Sain
6'5" | SF
Cedar Rapids Washington | 2023
State
IA
added 10 points and
Jesse Sellers
Jesse
Sellers
5'10" | PG
Cedar Rapids Washington | 2023
State
IA
had 9 in the loss.
Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | F |
Cedar Falls | 17 | 15 | 10 | 14 | 56 |
Cedar Rapids Washington | 4 | 12 | 17 | 18 | 51 |
Cedar Falls:
Trey Campbell
Trey
Campbell
6'4" | PG
Cedar Falls | 2022
State
IA
25,
Dallas Bear
Dallas
Bear
6'8" | SF
Cedar Falls | 2023
State
#276
Nation
IA
16,
Aaron Brost
Aaron
Brost
6'2" | SF
Cedar Falls | 2022
State
IA
7,
Cade Courbat
Cade
Courbat
6'8" | PF
Cedar Falls | 2024
State
#120
Nation
IA
3, Carter Juhl 3, Jake Peters 2
Cedar Rapids Washington: JJ Willis 12,
Traijan Sain
Traijan
Sain
6'5" | SF
Cedar Rapids Washington | 2023
State
IA
10,
Jesse Sellers
Jesse
Sellers
5'10" | PG
Cedar Rapids Washington | 2023
State
IA
9,
Willie Hodges
Willie
Hodges
6'0" | PG
Aplington-Parkersburg | 2024
State
IA
6,
Jaden Harris
Jaden
Harris
6'0" | PG
Cedar Rapids Washington | 2023
State
IA
6, Bryce Brim 6, Omoro Crusoe 2
PG
Trey Campbell
Trey
Campbell
6'4" | PG
Cedar Falls | 2022
State
IA
(Cedar Falls, 2022)
The future Northern Iowa lead guard was in complete control on both ends of the floor throughout the night, finishing with a game-high 25 points on 9-15 shooting (also 6-6 from the line), 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. I loved the way that he approached the game, letting it come to him, and then picking and choosing his spots to take over. He didn’t take a single shot in the first quarter, getting others involved and into the flow of the game, and then started to take over a bit in the second quarter. The second half was all him, scoring 16 points, including 12 in the fourth, to help lead the Tigers to the win. He does an excellent job utilizing head fakes to help create space, and has an innate ability to keep his dribble while head faking, getting the defender in the air, and then continuing his drive. He has excellent touch around the rim with either hand, a solid floater game, and a pretty jumper with range well beyond the arc. He has the ability, at this level, to get to the rim whenever he wants. Defensively, he has the length and quickness to cause major issues both on and off the ball, and has the size to defend either perimeter spot. He’ll be a key contributor for UNI.
SF
Dallas Bear
Dallas
Bear
6'8" | SF
Cedar Falls | 2023
State
#276
Nation
IA
(Cedar Falls, 2023)
The 6-8 junior wing hasn’t been shooting it to the level that we know he’s capable of (34.4 3P% so far this year), but was 3-6 from behind the arc in this one, so maybe he’ll be able to carry that momentum into the rest of the season. He has a silky smooth stroke and a quick release off the catch, and when he’s got it going, the ball barely touches the net. He does a good job utilizing off-ball screens to both cut to the basket and to flair out for open looks from the arc. He showed a willingness to post up smaller defenders and score on the block with good footwork and touch, and he really played well on the defensive end, sitting in his stance, moving his feet, and letting his immense length impact the game. He finished with 16 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists.
PG
Aaron Brost
Aaron
Brost
6'2" | SF
Cedar Falls | 2022
State
IA
(Cedar Falls, 2022)
A solid role player who does a little bit of everything, Brost is a 6-2 guard who is a strong on-ball defender and a good perimeter shooting threat. He had 7 points on a perfect 3-3 shooting for the Tigers and did a solid job defending. He’s a high IQ player who positions himself well on both ends of the floor.
PF
Cade Courbat
Cade
Courbat
6'8" | PF
Cedar Falls | 2024
State
#120
Nation
IA
(Cedar Falls, 2024)
The 6-7 sophomore had a quiet game, scoring just 3 points, but also had 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 blocks. He’s a mobile, athletic big man who can switch defensively, protect the rim, and established good position on the block. His athleticism and size make him a versatile defender, and while he struggled to finish around the rim, he showed good footwork on his post touches. He’s oozing with potential and should develop into a player who can score inside and out for the Tigers.
C Jake Peters (Cedar Falls, 2024)
Peters is a huge presence in the paint, a 6-4 sophomore with a big, physical frame that he uses effectively on both ends of the floor. He has good hands and rebounds well. If he continues to grow, he could be a major piece for this group moving forward. He had 2 points and 4 rebounds off the bench.
PG Jaden Harris Jaden Harris 6'0" | PG Cedar Rapids Washington | 2023 State IA (Washington, 2023)
The most impactful player for the Warriors was the 6-1 point guard, who contributed across the board with 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. He showed good court vision, putting teammates in good positions to finish his helpers, and he showed a smooth release on his jumper, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers for his 6 points. He isn’t afraid to stick his nose in and compete against bigger players on the glass.
SF
Traijan Sain
Traijan
Sain
6'5" | SF
Cedar Rapids Washington | 2023
State
IA
(Washington, 2023)
The most talented player on the floor for the Warriors, Sain is a long, lean, and athletic 6-5 wing who can score from all three levels. He took over the game for a little bit in the third quarter, putting up 6 straight points to open the frame, showing his ability to get to the rim for a finish, as well as face up and knock down a smooth mid-range jumper off the dribble. He has the length and athleticism to create issues on the defensive end, but we would like to see him become more consistent on both ends of the floor. There is a lot of talent here.
PF JJ Willis (Washington, 2024)
An undersized big man who has a nose for the ball, Willis finished with a team-high 12 points and 6 rebounds on 6-8 shooting. He has good touch around the rim, solid footwork, and he runs the floor really well.
PG
Jesse Sellers
Jesse
Sellers
5'10" | PG
Cedar Rapids Washington | 2023
State
IA
(Washington, 2023)
A lightning-quick 5-10 lead guard, Sellers played well in the second half when he was looking to use his quickness to attack the rim and finish. He has good body control around the rim and is a creative finisher. He has struggled a bit with his perimeter stroke this year, but the form is good and his percentages should climb.