Player Evaluations: Big Second Half Leads Xavier Past City

IOWA CITY -- Xavier used a big third quarter to run away from City High on Monday night, coasting to a 61-46 win after trailing by a point at halftime. After a hot shooting start that saw the Saints jump out to a 14-5 lead midway through the first quarter, the Saints went cold for the remainder of the half, and City was able to take a 23-22 lead into the locker rooms in their beautiful new home gym. Xavier locked in on the defensive end in the third quarter and used a 12-22 shooting quarter to outscore the Little Hawks by 17, 26-9, in the third stanza to give them a 48-32 lead after three quarters, and they breezed through an easy final eight minutes. Xavier improves to 7-4 with the win. The Saints were led by [player_tooltip player_id="1367451" first="Josef" last="Lemker"], who had a game-high 17 points and 9 rebounds. [player_tooltip player_id="1167689" first="Aidan" last="Yamilkoski"] chipped in 15 points, and Spencer Mesch had 9. City drops to 4-6 with the loss. The Little Hawks were led by [player_tooltip player_id="1256297" first="TaeVeon" last="Stevens"], a sophomore guard who had 14 points off the bench, including 11 in the first half. [player_tooltip player_id="1240089" first="Shamar" last="Benton"] added 8 points in the loss.   <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">Team</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">1Q</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">2Q</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">3Q</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">4Q</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">F</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">Xavier</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">17</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">5</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">26</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">13</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">61</td> </tr> <tr> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">City</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">12</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">11</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">9</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">14</td> <td style="width: 16.666666666666668%; text-align: center;">46</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>   Xavier: [player_tooltip player_id="1367451" first="Josef" last="Lemker"] 17, [player_tooltip player_id="1167689" first="Aidan" last="Yamilkoski"] 15, Spencer Mesch 9, Trysten Vasquez 8, [player_tooltip player_id="1240106" first="Brody" last="Hoffman"] 4, [player_tooltip player_id="1240088" first="Maverick" last="Burger"] 2, Grayson Hartman 2, [player_tooltip player_id="1288895" first="Landen" last="Eidahl"] 2 City: [player_tooltip player_id="1256297" first="TaeVeon" last="Stevens"] 14, [player_tooltip player_id="1240089" first="Shamar" last="Benton"] 8, Jovan Harris 6, [player_tooltip player_id="682287" first="Darren" last="Richardson"] 5, [player_tooltip player_id="784977" first="Jamari" last="Newson"] 5, Thomas Ksobiech 3, Matt Schaeckenbach 2, Taeshon McDaniels 2   <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/54-Aidan-Yamilkoski-crop-1815x1192-1614634786.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-1142226" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/ph/uploads/2020/10/54-Aidan-Yamilkoski-crop-1815x1192-1614634786-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1167689" first="Aidan" last="Yamilkoski"] (Xavier) With Joe Bean sidelined with an injury, Yamilkoski is the Saints' leading scorer, averaging 13.5 a game. He had 15 in the win, showing his ability to score from all three levels. He opened things up by knocking down a pair of catch-and-shoot 3s in the first quarter. He quieted down a bit the rest of the first half, but came alive again in the second half, scoring 9 points by getting to the rim and finding a few jumpers in the mid-range. He crashes the offensive glass hard, pulling down 4 offensive boards in the win, and also dished out 4 assists. 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1367451" first="Josef" last="Lemker"] (Xavier) A 6-2 wing with a smooth stroke from the arc, Lemker had a big game for the Saints, scoring a game-high 17 points on 6-13 shooting (5-9 3P) to go with 9 rebounds. He has good length and moves well off the ball, finding spaces in the defense to get his shot off. He had a solid all-around game, getting his hands into some passing lanes and creating a few turnovers with his length. 2023 Thomas Sundell (Xavier) A tough, 5-9 guard, Sundell didn't do much that will show up in the box score (0 points on 0-1 shooting), 2 assists, but the impact that he makes on the game is still very meaningful. He's a tough, physical defender who does a great job limiting touches for opposing team's top players. He forced a number of turnovers with his fantastic on-ball defense and quick hands, and he made a few plays face-guarding opposing ball-handlers and forcing City to throw it away. He's not going to ever be relied upon as a scorer, but he's going to make all of the little plays that teams need to win. 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1240106" first="Brody" last="Hoffman"] (Xavier) Hoffman is a big-bodied wing who scores very efficiently and contributes across the board. He came into this game averaging 5.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists while shooting 70% from the floor, and he finished with 4 points on 2-4 shooting with three assists. He's a versatile defender who moves well enough to hang with guards on the perimeter, and is big and physical enough to bang in the paint, and he knows his limitations offensively, looking to get to the bucket or post up smaller defenders. 2024 [player_tooltip player_id="1256297" first="TaeVeon" last="Stevens"] (City) Stevens had some big scoring games with Waterloo Salvation during the summer, and it's easy to see why in watching him in this one. A 5-9 guard with excellent handle and unlimited confidence, he buried a 25-footer on his first touch of the game and knocked down 3-6 from behind the arc in the game en route to a team-high 14 points. He has a good feel for the game, making a couple of really pretty passes to teammates for assists. He'll need to grow and add some more muscle to his frame, which will help him finish around the rim, but he has the potential to become a big-time scorer for the Little Hawks. 2023 [player_tooltip player_id="1240089" first="Shamar" last="Benton"] (City) Benton is a fantastic athlete who contributes on the glass on both ends of the floor. He flies around the court on the defensive end, using his superior athleticism and length to impact the game on that end. He's not much of a shooter, but can occasionally break down the defender and get to the rim for finishes, but he's at his best when he's in transition and attacking the rim. 2022 [player_tooltip player_id="784977" first="Jamari" last="Newson"] (City) Newson is City's leading scorer, but was held to just 5 points in this one. To his credit, he didn't try to force anything, taking what was given to him. He's an athletic 6-1 guard who sees the floor well, gets others involved, and has the ability to break down the defense and get to the bucket. He crashes the glass hard on both ends of the floor, using his plus athleticism to pull down boards against bigger players. He's a good ball-handler and solid decision-maker with the ball in his hands. He added 4 rebounds and 3 assists in the loss.