Linn-Mar Girls Basketball

Linn-Mar girls tumble at Centennial

ANKENY – Amanda Ollinger scored eight points to lead the fifth-ranked Linn-Mar girls basketball team in a 43-27 loss to No. 7 Ankeny Centennial on Saturday.

The Lions (10-3) led 10-7 after the first quarter, but struggled on offense the rest of the way.

Kylee Macke had 11 points for Ankeny Centennial (9-4).

LINN-MAR (27): Noggle 0 0-0 0, Frese 1 0-0 2, Lancial 1 2-4 5, Murphy 0 0-0 0, Montague 2 0-0 6, Sharma 1 3-4 5, Finley 0 0-0 0, Larson 0 0-0 0, Ollinger 2 3-3 8, Nietert 0 1-2 1. Totals 7 9-13 27.

ANKENY CENTENNIAL (43): Macke 3 4-4 11, Brandt 2 2-2 6, Wycoff 0 2-2 2, Matter 1 0-0 2, Lindaman 2 4-5 8, Williams 1 2-4 4, Vipond 4 2-2 10. Totals 13 16-19 43.

Halftime – Ankeny Centennial 22, Linn-Mar 18. 3-point goals – Linn-Mar 4 (Montague 2, Lancial, Ollinger), Ankeny Centennial 1 (Macke).

No. 5 Lions clipped by No. 4 West

IOWA CITY – Even in defeat, Linn-Mar girls basketball coach Jaime Brandt learned something positive about her team Friday.

It doesn’t quit.

The fifth-ranked Lions fell to fourth-ranked Iowa City West, 51-42, in a Mississippi Valley Conference game that was on the verge of becoming a rout early in the third quarter.

West scored the first six points after halftime, expanding its lead to 45-28 less than two minutes into the third quarter. The visiting Lions then trimmed the deficit to nine points on three occasions, but could get no closer while falling to 10-2 on the season.

“I told them we could have very easily let this one go and get blown out by 25,” said Brandt, a former standout guard for Linn-Mar and the University of Iowa. “We were down by 17 I think in the (third) and lost by single digits.

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Linn-Mar stays 5th in girls poll

The Linn-Mar Lions stayed in the No. 5 spot in the Class 5A girls basketball rankings Thursday by the IGHSAU.

The Kennedy Cougars climbed back into the Class 5A rankings in 10th place. The Xavier Saints climbed one spot to No. 10 in the 4A rankings.

West Des Moines Valley is ranked No. 1 in Class 5A. Harlan is No. 1 in Class 4A. Mediapolis is ranked No. 1 in 3A, Western Christian is No. 1 in 2A and Burlington Notre Dame is No. 1 in 1A.

CLASS 5A

1. West Des Moines Valley (12-0), 2. Waukee (10-1), 3. Dowling Catholic (9-2), 4. Iowa City West (11-0), 5. Linn-Mar (10-1), 6. Southeast Polk (8-2), 7. Ankeny Centennial (7-4), 8. Cedar Falls (10-2), 9. Iowa City High (9-3), 10. Kennedy (9-4).

CLASS 4A

1. Harlan (11-0), 2. Western Dubuque (11-0), 3. Ballard (11-0), 4. Carlisle (10-1), 5. Perry (10-2), 6. Waverly-Shell Rock (13-0), 7. Davenport North (11-0), 8. North Scott (10-1), 9. Sioux City Heelan (7-2), 10. Xavier (9-4), 11. Indianola (9-3), 12. Pella (8-2), 13. Kekouk (8-1), 14. Dallas Center-Grimes (8-4), 15. Knoxville (10-0).

Linn-Mar popping up in the polls

The Linn-Mar Lions have been popping up all over the place in the sports polls this winter.

Basketball, bowling, wrestling, swimming. Pick a sport and the Lions are listed prominently among the top teams in the state.

The Linn-Mar boys basketball team, riding a seven-game winning streak after a season-opening loss at Waukee, jumped from 10th to eighth in the new AP rankings Monday in Class 4A. The Lions collected a pair of impressive victories over Kennedy and Cedar Falls last week. A tough week is ahead with a game Tuesday night at Dubuque Senior before games at home Friday with No. 1 Iowa City West and on the road Saturday at No. 5 Ankeny Centennial.

The Linn-Mar girls basketball team, led by new coach Jaime (Printy) Brandt, is ranked fifth in Class 5A by the IGHSAU. The Lions have a 9-1 record and are headed for a showdown at No. 4 Iowa City West on Friday after hosting Dubuque Senior on Tuesday.

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