Five Takeaways: Dubuque Senior (68) at Iowa City West (59)
IOWA CITY — A record setting winning streak finally came to an end on Saturday afternoon, as No. 6 Dubuque Senior came down to Iowa City and upset top-ranked Iowa City West, 68-59, snapping an 81-game home winning streak.
Behind a remarkably efficient offense that shot 25-40 (62.5%) from the floor and 8-11 (72.7%) from behind the arc, the Rams were in control throughout the afternoon. Using a variation of a Princeton offense for many possessions, the Rams routinely beat an overplaying Trojans defense for backdoor layups.
Senior guard Carter Stevens was the best player on the floor, routinely making big shots for the Rams any time West made a run to cut into their lead, and the Rams as a team shot 12-16 from the floor in the second half. They also went 9-11 from the free throw line in the fourth quarter to help ice the upset win.
Senior (13-4, 10-2) was led by Carter Stevens, who had a game-high 26 points to go with four assists. Noah Carter added 15 points and eight rebounds, and Nick Timmerman had 11 in the win.
West (13-3, 10-2) was led by Patrick McCaffery, who had 18 points and nine rebounds, but missed a number of bunnies he usually makes around the rim. Seybian Sims added 10 points.
Team | 1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | F |
Dubuque Senior | 14 | 16 | 15 | 23 | 68 |
Iowa City West | 14 | 12 | 17 | 16 | 59 |
Dubuque Senior: Carter Stevens 26, Noah Carter 15, Nick Timmerman 11, Sam Link 7, Marshaun Carroll 5, Landon Hermsen 4
Iowa City West: Patrick McCaffery 18, Seybian Sims 10, Dante Eldridge 9, Evan Flitz 9, Jake Anderson 7, Jayson Barnes 3, Hakeem Odunsi 2, Jalen Gaudet 1
Carter Stevens is a gamer
In a game featuring an awful lot of talent, it was Senior’s 5-9 point guard who was the best player on the floor throughout the afternoon. He finished with a game-high 26 points on 10-14 shooting, and routinely made huge shots for the Rams. He’s a remarkable offensive player with an innate ability to create space to get his shot off, finish around the rim, and distribute to teammates. He’s as tough as they come, a really solid ball handler and all-around leader. If he were 3-4 inches taller, we’d be talking about him as a low-to-mid-major prospect.
Iowa City West’s fifth starter spot
The Trojans “Big Four” of Patrick McCaffery, Seybian Sims, Dante Eldridge and Evan Flitz is arguably the best of any team in the state. But the fifth starter spot has been a major issue throughout the year, as they’ve struggled to find the right fit in the lineup. They’ve tried Dadrian Hoambrecker, Hakeem Odunsi, Jayson Barnes, and today, Jalen Gaudet. Gaudet gave them some size and strength to try out on Carter, and he was fairly effective, but he’s not an offensive threat. Hoambrecker is long and athletic, but inconsistent. Same with Odunsi. The best option could end up being Barnes, who doesn’t blow you away with anything he does, but can stretch the floor with his shooting. It’s the story to watch moving forward for a West team that has now lost three of their last six games.
Senior ends another West streak
For the second time in four years, the Senior Rams ended a long West winning streak. Back on January 10, 2014, they beat the Trojans to snap a 60-win overall winning streak, which was a 4A record. And today, they won to snap a state record 81-game home winning streak. The Senior staff has been really good at developing game plans against the Trojans, and their rosters have been great at executing those plans. Of course, the Rams have had plenty of talent on their roster during those years, and they’ve been the school that plays the Trojans the toughest routinely, but it’s still quite remarkable that they’re the team that has snapped a pair of major winning streaks.
Nick Timmerman’s improvement
The junior wing has steadily improved throughout his high school career, and he’s playing his best basketball right now. He was 3-4 from behind the arc, and 4-5 from the floor overall, en route to 11 points. He’s a solid on-ball perimeter defender and has the ability to put the ball on the floor now. He used to be primarily a catch-and-shoot shooter, but he’s turning into a really solid all-around player. What’s most impressive is that he didn’t play any grassroots ball over the summer, just worked on his skills by himself.
Noah Carter’s versatility
In just his third game back from a major surgery on his leg, Noah Carter has shown absolutely no ill effects. He scored 15 points, pulled down eight rebounds and had three assists in the Rams win, and he showed his versatility doing it. He knocked down a pair of 3s, scored on post touches with either hand and showed his vision and passing ability. His versatility as an offensive threat is what makes the Rams such a dangerous team. At 6-5, he’s one of the best shooters in the state, and his presence opens everything up for the rest of the roster.