Keokuk and C-R Xavier move to 3A championship game

The class 3A semifinals capped off Thursday’s action at the girls’ state basketball tournament. Third rank Cedar Rapids Xavier scored the first 19 points of the third quarter to rally for a 39-35 win over Davenport Assumption. Xavier guard Beth Samek says defense turned the game around. She says they tried to get pressure on them the entire game and were a little slow to start, but picked it up.Samek says Assumption stopped being aggressive on offense after her team put the pressure on. She says Assumption pulled its offense out and didn’t get as many shots. Assumption coach Todd Borrison says they got on their heels in the fourth quarter and lost the momentum. He says they then panicked on offense, but he says Xavier deserves credit for turning it on.Sixth-ranked Keokuk outscored MOC/Floyd Valley 20-10 in the second quarter to take command as the Chiefs cruised to a 60-42 win and a spot in the 3A championship. It will be Keokuk’s first appearance in the title game. Chiefs coach Jerry Jerome says it’s awesome and he has a great group of kids. Jerome says would love to give the city a championship. MOC/Floyd Valley shot just 37 percent for the game and made only two of 15 from three point range.