Linn-Mar Boys Basketball

Paige, Olson make Register all-state teams

Marcus Paige of Linn-Mar and Taylor Olson of Cedar Rapids Jefferson were named to the Des Moines Register Class 4A all-state basketball teams on Sunday.

Paige made the first team with Jeremy Morgan of Iowa City West, James Harrington of Cedar Falls, Kale Abrahamson of West Des Moines Valley and Adam Woodbury of Sioux City East.

Taylor made the third team with Josh Weeber of Dubuque Senior, Dale Jones of Waterloo West, Zach Burnham of Davenport Central and Dwight Sistrunk of Des Moines Hoover.

The Class 4A second team featured Sam Norman of Des Moines Roosevelt, Cole Myers of Ankeny, Ted Friedman of Ankeny, Dondre Alexander of Iowa City West and Joe Scott of Davenport West.

Paige, a 6-foot-2 guard, led Class 4A in scoring at 28 points per game and helped Linn-Mar place fourth in the state tournament. He has signed to play at North Carolina.

Olson, a 6-1 guard, averaged 18.3 points and helped the J-Hawks reach the state tournament for the third straight year. He has not committed to college.

The entire all-state teams can be viewed at www.dmregister.com.

Paige takes final bow with Linn-Mar in loss

DES MOINES - Marcus Paige ended his brilliant high school basketball career Saturday afternoon with some hugs, some confusion and a lopsided defeat.

Paige and the Linn-Mar Lions lost to top-ranked Ankeny, 66-49, in the consolation game for third place at the Class 4A state basketball tournament at Wells Fargo Arena.

It was a game neither team wanted to play.

Linn-Mar, the 2011 state champions, wanted to play for another title Saturday night under the bright lights, not before 500 fans in a mostly empty gym in the middle of the afternoon. Ankeny, the top seed, had bigger hopes as well.

But play they did, and when it ended nobody could be sure if Paige had broken the career scoring record at Linn-Mar or not after finishing with 1,695 markers.

Linn-Mar lists the school record as 1,679 by Jason Bohannon from 2004 to 2006, but the Iowa High School Athletic Association credits Bohannon with netting 1,697.

Paige either broke the school record by 16 points or he fell short by two points.

"I'm not too worried about that. Jason was a great player," Paige said. "If I broke it, that's great. If not, I'm not too worried about it. It wasn't really a goal of mine. Either way I'd be happy."

Hugh Leffingwell, a star for Marion High School from 1949 to 1952, holds the Metro scoring record of 1,898 points. Then come Paige and Bohannon - or Bohannon and Paige - depending on the official recount.

Linn-Mar Coach Chris Robertson plans to comb through the scorebooks at some point and figure it out.

"I hope he got it, because I think he deserves it," Robertson said. "It's kind of a neat thing."

Paige scored 28 points Saturday, but it was not a vintage performance by the 6-foot-2 guard who scored 49 and 46 in games this season. He struggled with his 3-point shot again and made only 1 of 9, leaving him at 4 for 25 on 3-pointers in the state tournament this year for a paltry 16 percent.

"That's the way it goes sometimes," he said.

Jimmy Roth scored 15 points for the Lions (20-6), which means Roth and Paige combined for 43 of their team's 49 markers. Everyone else combined for six points.

Connor Schabel led Ankeny (25-1) with 18 points. Cory Myers scored 13 and Bryan Sumner had 10.

Paige set school records this season for most points (729), highest scoring average (28.0) and most free throws (159). He started on clubs that finished 2nd, 3rd, 1st and 4th in the state tournament and compiled a glittering four-year mark of 93-11.

He's the heavy favorite to be named Iowa's "Mr. Basketball" for 2012 when the award is announced this coming week. Robertson doesn't think there's any doubt about it.

"If there is, then somebody ought to lose their job," he said. "I would say that he's got to be Mr. Basketball.

"There's a lot of other great players, don't get me wrong, but I think when you put his career together with his senior season and what he's had to do to even get this team to the state tournament ... He put us on his back and got us here."

Paige is a modest young man, but he'd like to join the ranks of the other top players in Iowa who have won the award.

"It would mean a lot," he said. "I think I had a pretty good year. I had a great year with my teammates and everything.

"Winning an award like that would be pretty cool, but even if I don't get it I'll still be happy with the year I had."

Paige will play in the McDonald's All-American Game in Chicago on March 28 and will participate in the Jordan Brand Classic in Charlotte, N.C., on April 14.

He'll graduate from Linn-Mar and leave in mid-June for the University of North Carolina, where he'll take a couple of credits this summer and begin training for his college basketball career.

"I'll get a couple of weeks of rest (after graduation) and then I'm off to Carolina," he said.

A voice rang out in the crowd as Paige left the floor at Wells Fargo Arena Saturday for the final time as a high school player. "Nice job, Marcus," he said, bidding farewell.

Paige was named to the Class 4A all-tournament team following Saturday night's championship game. He also earned an academic all-state award.

LINN-MAR (49): Lassen 0 0-0 0, Paige 8 11-12 28, Roth 4 3-4 15, Henry 1 0-0 2, Gogg 1 0-2 2, Martins 0 0-0 0, Dick 1 0-0 2, Wick 0 0-0 0, Hutchins 0 0-0 0, Meier 0 0-1 0, Schlotterback 0 0-0 0. Totals 15 14-19 49.

ANKENY (66): Cory Myers 4 2-2 13, Cole Myers 2 3-4 8, Egli 0 7-9 7, Schabel 2 1-2 6, Jones 0 1-2 1, Sumner 3 2-2 10, Figley 0 0-0 0, Howard 0 0-0 0, Jordison 0 0-0 0, Peck 0 0-0 0, Friedman 1 1-2 3, Wubben 0 0-0 0, Rinker 0 0-0 0,l Otto 0 0-0 0. Totals 18 20-27 66.

Halftime - Ankeny 34, Linn-Mar 26. 3-point goals - Linn-Mar 5 (Roth 4, Paige 1), Ankeny 10 (Cory Myers 3, Schabel 3, Sumner 2, Cole Myers 1, Lindaman 1). Fouled out - Cory Myers, Egli.

Full boxscore

Lions stopped by No.2 Trojans in semifinals

DES MOINES - The Linn-Mar Lions made Iowa City West a little nervous for three quarters Friday afternoon in the semifinals of the Class 4A state basketball tournament.

Then Dondre Alexander stole the show and Linn-Mar's bid for consecutive state titles fell by the wayside.

Alexander collected 14 of his game-high 27 points in the fourth period and No. 2 Iowa City West denied the fifth-ranked Lions, 71-51, at the Wells Fargo Arena.

The Lions trailed by only two points, 40-38, entering the final stanza and Linn-Mar fans had a question for the undefeated Trojans: "Feeling Any Pressure?" they chanted in unison.

Apparently not.

Iowa City West drubbed the Lions in the fourth quarter, 31-13, to win comfortably at the end.

"We made them think a little bit and hung around," Linn-Mar Coach Chris Robertson remarked. "It's a two-point game going into the fourth quarter and we liked our chances.

"But that's a great team and they showed it in the fourth quarter for sure. They guard well, they defend well and they make things tough. You have to give them credit."

Linn-Mar (20-5) will face top-ranked Ankeny (24-1) in the consolation game for third place Saturday at 1:45 p.m. Iowa City West will battle Sioux City East (21-3) in the finals at 8:05 p.m.

Remarkably, Iowa City West made 80 percent of its shots in the second half Friday by sinking 20 of 25 from the floor. Alexander, a powerfully built 6-foot-3 junior, led the way by hitting 9 of 10 shots after the intermission with an array of 3-pointers and strong moves to the bucket.

Alexander poured in 24 of his 27 points in the second half. "Dondre had one of his little patented Dondre runs," Iowa City West Coach Steve Bergman remarked.

Alexander also excelled on defense against Linn-Mar All-American Marcus Paige, holding Paige to 1 for 9 on 3-pointers and blocking several of his shots. Paige finished with 24 points, but they didn't come easily.

"He played a great game. He's really good," Paige said. "He's physical and athletic. He uses his tools well. He had a great game and we had a tough time containing him."

Alexander enjoyed his defensive assignment against Paige, who will play for the North Carolina Tar Heels next season.

"I mean, obviously he's a great player. He's obviously the best player in Iowa, so I felt pretty good sticking with him all game and playing him tough," Alexander said.

Alexander is a defensive stopper for the Trojans.

"He's the best. There isn't anybody better than him," Bergman said. "I mean, he's guarding the Harringtons (James Harrington of Cedar Falls) and the Paiges. Those guys don't like him. He's tough. He's a good athlete, and he takes that as a challenge."

Alexander was tough enough on defense, and he was double-tough on offense in the second half after shooting 1 for 5 in the first half.

"He's athletic and strong, and when he makes shots he becomes really good," Robertson said. "The second half he just took over the game. He didn't miss many shots the second half. He did a great job.

"He's a Division I athlete. I don't know if he's going to play football or basketball, but he's really good. He's strong, he's quick, he's got length. He has a nice arm-bar (on defense).

"He did a good job. It's hard to get around him, there's no doubt about that."

Linn-Mar controlled the tempo in the first half with a zone defense that took Iowa City West somewhat by surprise. "It screwed us up a little bit," Bergman said.

The Lions trailed by only one point at halftime, 22-21, so the game plan was working against the favored Trojans. Alexander got hot in the third quarter and scored 10 points, but Paige answered with nine markers and it was 40-38 entering the fourth quarter.

Linn-Mar defeated Iowa City West in the semifinals of the state tournament last year en route to the title and Bergman didn't like having a slim two-point lead with eight minutes to play.

"We were concerned, because of him," said Bergman, nodding toward Paige in the post-game interview room. "I said to somebody, 'We cannot let this be a two or three-point game going down the stretch.'"

Paige and the Lions rallied for victories over Kennedy in the substate finals and over Dubuque Senior in the opening round of the state tournament, and Bergman was afraid the same fate could be in store for his club.

Alexander put all of Bergman's fears to rest with a sensational performance in the last period.

"We had them right where we wanted them, a two-point game going into the last period," Paige said. "They came out and hit a couple of shots, and we had a couple of  defensive lapses early in the fourth quarter and that really got them going. And once they got on a run, it was real tough to catch them."

As it turned out, it was impossible.

"Like Coach said, they saw blood and they went after it. They're tough," said Linn-Mar center Derik Gogg, who finished with 10 points. "They made good shots and we kind of collapsed at the end."

The Cinderella Lions ran out of miracles. "The slipper fell off," Robertson said.

Wyatt Lohaus played a strong second half for Iowa City West and hurt the Lions with 13 points. Jake Gylten collected 11 points and nine rebounds for the Trojans and Myzeah Batie-Gaddy contributed 10 points.

Iowa City West shot 61.7 percent for the game on the strength of its 20 for 25 marksmanship in the second half. Linn-Mar shot 42.9 percent for the contest.

The Lions had trouble dialing long distance and finished 2 for 17 on 3-pointers, with Paige going 1 for 9. By contrast, the Trojans were 7 of 15 on 3-pointers with Alexander 3 for 4.

Iowa City West pounded Linn-Mar on the backboards, 30-19.

Linn-Mar's consolation prize in the state tournament this year is a date with No. 1 Ankeny in a battle for third place. Ankeny lost to Sioux City East in the first semifinal game Friday, 60-56, in double overtime.

"We're obviously disappointed," Paige said. "We were so close to getting our ultimate goal and didn't make it. But we had a lot of balls bounce our way in the last couple of weeks."

Nobody likes consolation games, but Paige said the Lions will give it their best shot.

"I want to end my career on a high note and end our season on a high note and try to get a win," he said. "It will be the last time this group ever plays together.

"We had a good time, we've been through a lot, a lot of tough games and a lot of great experiences."

LINN-MAR (51): Lassen 1 0-0 2, Paige 10 3-4 24, Roth 3 1-2 7, Henry 1 1-2 3, Gogg 5 0-0 10, Martins 0 0-0 0, Meier 1 2-2 5, Schlotterback 0 0-0 0. Totals 21 7-10 51.

IOWA CITY WEST (71): Alexander 10 4-4 27, Morgan 2 0-0 5, Lohaus 5 2-2 13, Gylten 5 0-2 11, Batie-Gaddy 5 0-0 10, Smith 0 0-0 0, Swank 2 0-0 5. Totals 29-47 6-8 71.

Halftime - Iowa City West 22, Linn-Mar 21. 3-point goals - Linn-Mar 2 (Paige 1, Meier 1), Iowa City West 7 (Alexander 3, Morgan 1, Lohaus 1, Gylten 1, Swank 1). Fouled out - Morgan.

Full boxscore

SIOUX CITY EAST 60, ANKENY 56 (2OT) -- The Black Raiders held Ankeny to two points in the fourth quarter to forge a tie and finally took control from the free throw line in the second overtime to claim a spot in saturday night's Class 4A championship.

Adam Woodbury scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for East (21-3) before fouling out in the second overtime. Alex Imming added 15 points and JC Fuller scored 14.

Bryan Sumner came off the bench to score 18 points for Ankeny (24-1). Cory Myers had 13 points and Connor Schabel added 11 points and nine rebounds.

Ankeny led 43-38 after three quarters, but did not score over the final 6:49 of regulation. Fuller's layup with 2:46 left tied the game at 45-45 and neither team scored the remainder of regulation.

Woodbury's basket with seven seconds left in the first overtime forged a 51-51 tie and forced a second overtime.

East made only 7 of 13 free throws in the second overtime, but it was enough to hold on for the win.

Boxscore

Lassen faces Trojans again - 3 months later

DES MOINES - Linn-Mar High School junior Matt Lassen was lying in his hospital bed in Iowa City on Saturday, Dec. 10 when a visitor came to his room.

Lassen had suffered a severe concussion the night before during a basketball game against Iowa City West and had been placed in intensive care at the UI Hospitals and Clinics.

The visitor was Jeremy Morgan, one of the star players for Iowa City West who had been on the court when Lassen hit his head on the floor, passed out and had a seizure.

Morgan was at the hospital as a concerned opponent but also as a good friend. He and Lassen played AAU basketball together on the Iowa Barnstormers and became close, but they are more than simply good friends.

"Jeremy Morgan is my BEST friend," Lassen said Wednesday at the state tournament in Des Moines.

Lassen missed two months of the regular season while recovering from bleeding and swelling on his brain. He's healthy now and playing for the fifth-ranked Lions in the Class 4A state tournament at the Wells Fargo Arena.

Lassen and Morgan will get a chance to visit again Friday in Des Moines, but they'll put their friendship aside for a few hours when Linn-Mar (20-4) and second-ranked Iowa City West (24-0) tangle in the state semifinals at 3:15 p.m.

Lassen is looking forward to playing against Morgan and the Trojans in the biggest game of the year. He and Morgan are both juniors and could guard each other at times.

"I know those guys really well," Lassen said. "It will be fun to play against them."

Morgan was shaken when Lassen got hurt in their game three months ago. The contest was halted for about 20 minutes while Lassen was treated on the court.

"It was pretty scary at first. He wasn't moving," Morgan recalled Wednesday. "Then they got him on the stretcher. We went to visit him the next day."

Linn-Mar's players and fans were shaken by the sight of Lassen lying motionless on the court. So were the players, fans and coaches for Iowa City West.

"It wasn't good," Iowa City West Coach Steve Bergman said. "I've known Matt's dad (Ron) forever. I played basketball with him way back when. We've been friends for a long time.

"That was a big damper on what was a nice win for us. That was tough."

Iowa City West won that game 75-63, but everyone was worried about Lassen, not the final score. Now it's three months later and they'll meet again with a berth in the state finals on the line.

Linn-Mar defeated Iowa City West, 63-48, in the semifinals of the state tournament last year. Now here they are again, with Linn-Mar the defending 4A champions.

"Last year when we played them, I'm not sure we believed we could beat them," Bergman said. "And this year, we at least know we can play with them.

"They're good," he said. "And they believe they're going to win when they come into the tournament."

The Lions have lived dangerously in their last two games. They trailed Kennedy by eight points with 30 seconds left in the substate finals before winning in double overtime, and they trailed Dubuque Senior nearly the entire game in the first round of the state tournament Wednesday before winning with six seconds left, 51-50.

Marcus Paige scored nine points in the final 26 seconds of the fourth quarter to rescue Linn-Mar against Kennedy, and he made the big play against Dubuque Senior when he passed the ball to Andy Henry for the winning points.

"Our new motto," Linn-Mar Coach Chris Robertson said Wednesday, "you only have to be leading at the end."

Iowa City West has a talented team that features Morgan, Dondre Alexander and Wyatt Lohaus. Five Trojans scored in double figures Wednesday when they whipped Waukee, 74-52, in the quarterfinals.

"We're going to have our hands full Friday, but we'll show up," Robertson proclaimed.

Ankeny (24-0) will meet Sioux City East (20-3) in the first semifinal at 1:30 p.m. Friday.

The Class 4A championship game is scheduled for Saturday at 8:05 p.m. The consolation game for third place is set for Saturday at 1:45 p.m.