By Jon Gremmels

Herald Sports Editor

CLINTON — If anyone still has any doubts, Gerry Murphy has a message. He certainly believes his Prince of Peace team learned it Friday night.

“Camanche is for real, and now they (his players) know,” Murphy said after Camanche beat the Irish 64-48 in the first semifinal game of the River City Classic boys basketball tournament at Clinton High’s Yourd Gymnasium.

Taylor Roth scored 31 points and Codie Adams added 18 to lead the Indians into today’s 6:30 p.m. championship game against Clinton. The senior duo also made sure there was no Prince of Peace comeback.

“Taylor really had a huge game,” Camanche coach Josh Davis.

The win put the Indians at 2-0 on the young season, one-third of their total wins a year ago. More impressive is that the wins have come against two of the top teams in last year’s Big East Conference standings, Preston and Prince of Peace.

“It feels really good,” said Roth, a 6-foot-1 senior forward who added that he wasn’t surprised by the team’s start. “Coach has been telling us we’re going to win these games. It helps that we were prepared. That raises our confidence.”

The Indians’ confidence grew throughout the first half Friday. First they showed they could stick with an Irish team that has most of its players back from a squad that came within one win of qualifying for the state tournament a year ago. The teams ended the first quarter tied 10-10.

“I thought the first four minutes were really big for us,” Davis said. “Not to get the lead but to be there with them.”

Tightening up its interior defense and taking advantage of Prince of Peace’s 6-for-34 shooting (17.6 percent) in the first half, Camanche pulled ahead in the second quarter.

“We missed a lot of bunnies,” Murphy said.

Davis said Camanche’s defense had something to do with that.

“Their shooters didn’t get their shots,” Davis said. “We didn’t allow that.”

Roth put the Indians ahead to stay 12-10 when he used a power move inside for a short basket from the right side with 7 minutes, 1 second remaining in the second quarter. Adams followed with a driving layup from the left side at 5:26, and Mike Sullens (10 points, 12 rebounds) made it 16-10 when he put back his own miss at the 5:06 mark.

Eric Sikkema stopped the run with a basket for the Irish, but they made just one more the rest of half, and that came after Camanche scored nine in a row, starting with a 3-point basket by Roth.

“We saw them switch on ball screens and decided to go to that man,” Davis said of Camanche’s strategy.

The Indians built a 28-14 halftime lead, with Roth and Adams scoring 10 each. Adams closed the half with a 3-pointer from the top of the key that bounced above the rim and fell through.

Prince of Peace (1-1) made just 2 of 12 shots from the field, missed all three of its free-throw attempts and committed six turnovers.

The Irish scored on their first three possessions of the second half and cut the deficit to single digits, but every time they got within nine, Camanche responded. Usually, it was Roth.

First, he scored from 17 feet on the left side to make it 30-19. About a minute later, he converted a three-point play for a 32-21 lead. After a basket by Sean Mulholland (23 points) cut the deficit to 32-21, Roth scored on a putback. Another Mulholland basket got the Irish back within nine, but Roth connected on the first of back-to-back 3-pointers from the left corner.

“We’re a small team; we basically have to know every position and work at everything,” Roth explained about going outside even though he’s the biggest body on the Camanche team that lost its double-digit lead just once after that. “That’s just the way it worked out (that he was open). I got a great pass from Austin (Stahl), too.”

Roth said teamwork was a key reason for Camanche’s improvement this season.

“We do it a lot better this year,” he said. “Coach has prepared us very well. He sets a good game plan.”

As a result, Camanche will play tonight for the title, while Prince of Peace tries to regroup.

“We’re not the team we were last year,” Murphy said. “I hope our kids buy into the commitment needed. It certainly should be a big wakeup call. Their feet should be on the ground now.”

CAMANCHE 64, PRINCE OF PEACE 48

CAMANCHE (2-0) — Brad Maxwell 2-3 1-3 5, Brady Grell 0-2 0-0 0, Brett Johnson 0-4 0-1 0, Codie Adams 6-12 3-5 18, Taylor Roth 11-15 6-8 31, Mike Sullens 3-9 4-5 10, Austin Stahl 0-3 0-0 0, Tony Stoll 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-48 14-22 64.

PRINCE OF PEACE (1-1) — Eric Sikkema 1-13 0-0 2, James Nelson 1-6 2-2 4, John Nelson 3-8 0-0 6, Anthony Sinn 0-1 0-0 0, Sean Mulholland 10-19 3-6 23, Derek Witt 2-9 3-4 7, Ian Flood 1-3 0-0 2, Seth Hinrichs 1-1 0-0 2, RJ Howard 0-3 2-2 2. Totals 19-63 10-14 48.

Camanche 10 18 17 19 — 64

Prince of Peace 10 4 18 16 — 48

3-point goals — Camanche 6-11 (Grell 0-1, Adams 3-5, Roth 3-3, Stahl 0-2); Prince of Peace 0-8 (Sikkema 0-1, Jo. Nelson 0-4, Mulholland 0-2, Flood 0-1). Total fouls — Camanche 11; Prince of Peace 23. Fouled out — Ja. Nelson, Hinrichs. Rebounds — Camanche 37 (Sullens 12); Prince of Peace 45 (Mulholland 11, Witt 11). Assists — Camanche 8 (Adams 3); Prince of Peace 5 (Mulholland 2, Witt 2). Steals — Camanche 2 (Grell, Sullens); Prince of Peace 4 (Sikkema 2). Blocked shots — Camanche 1 (Adams); Prince of Peace 3 (Mulholland 2). Turnovers — Camanche 12; Prince of Peace 9.