Comets sweep on backward night

ELDON - It certainly wasn't a normal night at Cardinal High School. Not only was the schedule flipped from a normal doubleheader, with the boys basketball team playing first and the girls following, but the Comets played two different schools. But at the end of the night, only one thing mattered; both Comets teams walked out with victories.

The Cardinal boys found vengeance against Southeast Iowa Super Conference South Division foe Central Lee, beating them 70-56 in the early game to earn a season split. The Cardinal girls won a nonconference nail-biter, 36-31, against Melcher-Dallas.

The boys played with Zen-like composure in a dominant win over the visiting Hawks, and maybe not by accident. Coach Michael Strasko had the Comets meditate for 20 minutes before the game, and his little trick seemed to have worked.

'A lot of us have never done that,” said senior Elias Elammari. 'We came out hot, so I think it worked. Hopefully we start doing that more often.”

'Hot,” might be an understatement. The Comets scorched the Hawks in the first half, leading 20-9 after one oquarter and 38-25 at halftime. Three Comets were in double-figures by the break, with Blaine Bryant taking 12 points into the locker room, Griffin Greiner scoring 11, and Elammari putting in 10.

Central Lee battled back in the third quarter to cut the Comets' advantage to 49-43, but Cardinal hit the gas in the final period to earn some much-wanted revenge.

'We knew we had to come out here and get the job done,” Elammari said. 'Everything popped in and rolled out.”

Bryant finished the night with 20 points. Elammari had 19. Greiner scored 18. Keysean Moore had 10, and Ian Liles scored four.

The Comet girls were in a defensive struggle all night. Cardinal led 8-6 after one quarter, and the game was tied 17-17 at half, and 23-23 after three quarters.

'We couldn't buy a basket,” said Cardinal girls coach Makenzie Ostrander.

Freshman Emma Becker found the hot hand late. She scored seven points in the second half including a couple of clutch shots in the fourth quarter to help Cardinal grab the lead. 'That felt amazing,” Becker said. 'I was really relieved to see those shots fall.”

Becker's 11 points paced the girls. Alexia McClure scored nine. Ava Ferrell had six. Kinsey Hissem finished with five. Nicoa McClure and Shaelyn Rupe scored two points apiece, and Kolbie Bass had one.

'The way we finished says a lot,” said Becker. '(But) I think we like playing a six o'clock better.”

The Comet boys (10-9, 7-9 South) will play in the SEISC shootout on Friday night. The Cardinal girls (5-14, 3-11) will play again on Saturday when they travel to Louisa-Muscatine for their first postseason game.