Tom Lilly鈥檚 team sent him into retirement with another state championship and Libby Fandel closed out her high school career with two more state tournament records.
It was a great day to be with the Cedar Rapids Xavier Saints.
Fandel scored 36 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and Xavier dominated play over the final 3 陆 quarters to beat North Polk 66-47 for the Class 4A state championship.
It鈥檚 the sixth state title for Lilly, who had announced this would be his last season. All his championships have come at Xavier and he leaves the profession after 40 years with a 644-301 record and an impressive 6-1 mark in the state finals
His six titles tie him with Bob and Sharon Hansen for second-place on the state鈥檚 all-time list among coaches. The Hansens won championships at Des Moines East and Dowling Catholic. The leader with seven is Scott DeJong, who has won at Ankeny and Ankeny Centennial.
Fandel, who鈥檒l play at Kansas next season, put together three outstanding games at this year鈥檚 tournament. She finished the week with a 4A tournament record 94 points and 53 rebounds, which ties the overall tourney mark held by Unity Christian鈥檚 Anna Kiel. Fandel, voted the all-tournament captain, set the overall single-game rebounding record with 25 in a first-round victory over Bishop Heelan.
The 6-foot senior hit 11 of 19 shots in this one, made four steals and handed out two assists. After missing her first two free throws, she made her final 12.
While she did a lot of everything, Fandel didn鈥檛 have to do it all because she had ample help. Madden Wilson pitched in with 10 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals. Taylor Rexroth went 2-for-2 from 3-point range and scored eight points. Reese Komenda did her part for the Saints (22-4) with six points and five rebounds.
North Polk (24-3) has been a hard-luck team recently, losing to the state champion or eventual champion in each of that last three years. The Comets lost to Dallas Center-Grimes in overtime in the 2023 title game and fell to 2024 champion Clear Creek-Amana in the semifinals before losing this one. It鈥檚 the fourth time they鈥檝e finished as the state runner-up 鈥� all since 2019.
Becca Aagard led North Polk with 17 points and seven rebounds and Campbell Schulz scored nine. Xavier did a good job defensively against Greta Dillinger, who went 7-for-10 on 3-pointers in a semifinal victory over Dallas Center-Grimes. The Saints limited her to four shots from deep and she made two.
The Comets got to the basket often, especially in the first half, but couldn鈥檛 cash in when they got there. North Polk shot 38.6 percent and went 3-for-11 from distance.聽
Wilson, Aagard and North Polk鈥檚 Abby Tuttle also made the all-tournament team, joined by Norwalk freshman Braylyn Birmingham and Bishop Heelan鈥檚 Melina Snoozy.
