Washington Girls Basketball

Washington drops a toughie to Waukee

They may be the best team in the state with six losses, but that’s little consolation for the Washington Warrior girls basketball team that fell to ninth-ranked Waukee, 56-54, in a non-conference battle Saturday night at the Warrior gym.

No. 7 Washington (10-6) has now lost three of its last five games. Four of the Warriors' six losses have been by five points or less.

Waukee Coach Chris Guess enjoyed the payback win.

“We are very pleased to get that win,” he said. “There is a little bit of history here when four years ago in the state semifinals and it went down to the wire again and unfortunately for us, Washington got us at the Wells Fargo Arena at the state tournament when it counted and they got into the championship game.”

Saturday night was a different story as Waukee (13-5) led from start to finish and never allowed the Warriors a lead. Washington did cut the margin to a single point twice in the fourth quarter.

“Frank (Howell) does a great job with this program,” Guess said, referring to Washington's coach. “They are so deep and they have talent. To come over here and get out with a win is a big plus for us going into tournament time.”

Guess said Washington compares favorably with some of the better teams in the Central Iowa Metro League (CIML).

“They would be very similar to an Ankeny, to a Mason City, to Southeast Polk, Dowling,” he said. “We face teams like this on a regular basis. It is a grind.”

Waukee looked sharp with great ball handling, passing and shooting and hit big shots when it counted most. They led by as many as 13 points in the second half before the Warriors mounted a nice comeback.

Washington trailed 25-16 at the half, but used a 9-0 run late in the third quarter to cut it to 42-35 after three sessions of play. When Tasha Roundtree got to the rim for a layup early in the fourth quarter, the hosts had cut the margin to 42-41. But that’s when Waukee answered.

Megan Goodson nailed two 3-pointers, along with one other field goal in back-to-back-to-back possessions, giving her team a 48-43 edge.

“We had some kids step up when we needed it,” Guess said.

But the Warriors still made a game out of it. Roundtree and Danielle Franklin drained 3-pointers and suddenly it was 50-49.

Taylor Wingert’s 8-footer in the lane with 1:35 left kept Waukee ahead, 54-49. Megan Shryack splashed home two free throws with 43 seconds to play and the visitors led by five, 56-51. But the never-say-die Warriors found ways to stay alive.

Abby Herb sank one of two free throws, Goodson missed the front end of a bonus free throw try, and Roundtree made a layup with 12 seconds left. Suddenly, it was 56-54.

Applying full court pressure, the Warriors fouled Britney Boland, but she missed the front end of the one-and-maybe and Herb got the rebound, making an outlet pass to Roundtree who raced up court and missed a tough layup with four second left. The rebound rolled to the other side of the rim, Roundtree collected it and managed a pass to Madison Kramer, who stepped out of bounds under pressure with less than a second to play. Waukee made the ensuing inbounds pass as time expired.

“We got some great minutes from several girls,” Guess said. “We gave up 18 offensive rebounds and still found a way to win.”

The Warriors were led by Herb, who had a nice outing with 13 points and nine rebounds. Roundtree brought nice energy with 10 second-half points (15 for the game) to go with seven rebounds and five assists.

Goodson led all scorers with 17 points (including three 3-point goals) and four assists. Wingert had 10 points and four assists, while Boland played a solid game with 13 points and seven boards.

Washington was a miserable 5-for-29 shooting in the first half. The Warriors finished 19-of-59 (32 percent) and just 2-of-10 from behind the arc. Waukee shot 45 percent from the floor, including 6-of-17 three-point shooting.

Washington has four remaining games before regional play begins. The Warriors play at Iowa City Regina on Tuesday night.

WAUKEE (56):  Taylor Wingert 5 0-0 10, Megan Goodson 7 0-1 17, Ellie Bunz 0 0-0 0, Megan Shryack 2 2-2 6, Britney Boland 4 3-7 13, Sarah Ripperger 0 0-0 0, Amy Nestingen 2 3-3 7, Ellie Cavanaugh 1 0-0. Totals 21-25 8-13 56.

WASHINGTON (54): Abby Herb 4 5-8 13, Madison Kramer 1 2-2 4, Jazz Royster 1 4-8 6, Danielle Franklin 3 0-0 7, Kelli Klaus 1 1-2 3, Brooke Foreman 1 0-0 2, Aleena Hobbs 1 2-3 4, Tasha Roundtree 6 2-2 15, Colby Bjornsen 0 0-0 0.  Totals 18-59 16-25 54.

Halftime - Waukee 25, Washington 16. 3-point goals - Washington 2 (Franklin, Roundtree), Waukee 6 (Goodson 3, Boland 2, Cavanaugh). Rebounds - Washington 35 (Herb 9), Waukee 19 (Boland 7, Nestingen 7). Steals - Washington 7 (Kramer 2, Royster 2, Roundtree 2), Waukee 7.Turnovers - Washington 14, Waukee 13, Assists - Washington 9 (Roundtree 5), Waukee 11, Fouls - Washington 15, Waukee 17, Fouled Out - None.

Warriors tame feisty J-Hawks, 66-46

Outmanned Jefferson gave Washington all it wanted for three quarters Friday night at the J-Hawks' gym.

Playing without three starters, the J-Hawks scratched and clawed their way to within seven points of the No. 7 Warriors. But Washington used a 14-4 run to start the fourth quarter and pulled away for a 66-46 Mississippi Valley Conference girls basketball win.

Washington (10-5, 9-4) was led by Danielle Franklin's 17 points. Abby Herb and Jazz Royster had 11 points apiece and Brooke Foreman came off the bench to score 10.

Jefferson (6-10, 2-10) was led by Maddie Koolbeck's 17 points. Dani Stromert added 12.

Jefferson Coach Larry Niemeyer learned earlier Friday that his team would have to play the rest of the season without two more starters. Junior Taylor Jacobson already had been ruled out for the season with an ankle injury, but juniors Rachel Broghammer and Kaitlyn Davidson were added to the disabled list. Broghammer has a stress fracture in her lower leg and Davidson has a torn meniscus in her knee.

"I've never had anything like this," Niemeyer said of the rash of injuries.

Washington jumped out to a 15-2 lead against the jittery J-Hawks, playing with three juniors and two sophomores. The Warriors led 36-22 at halftime and appeared to have the game in hand.

But the J-Hawks pounded the ball low to sophomore Kieley Brathwaite for a pair of baskets to start the second half, and Stromert drained a bucket and a 3-pointer for a 9-2 run that pulled Jefferson within 38-31 and it was a ballgame.

"I give them all the credit in the world because I thought they played really hard," Washington Coach Frank Howell said of Jefferson's effort. "It would have been easy for their kids to lay down and die and they didn't do that at all. They got most of the loose balls and we got outhustled quite a bit."

But when the game was on the line, the Warriors went back to their bread and butter, working the ball inside to Herb, Royster and Franklin, who combined for 13 of Washington's 19 points in the fourth quarter.

Jefferson, down to eight players, ran out of gas.

"I thought we played really, really well," Niemeyer said. "I thought Maddie Koolbeck played an awfully good game for us at the post, but they just have so much size inside. And Dani Stromert, who plays harder?"

Niemeyer was especially pleased with the way the J-Hawks handled Washington's full-court pressure defense. The Warriors stymied the J-Hawks with that tactic in their first meeting, a 66-39 Washington win on Dec. 16.

The start of the game was delayed approximately 45 minutes because the officials were late. The game was the opener of a girl/boy doubleheader.

Washington hosts No. 9 Waukee Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Jefferson's next game is Saturday at Clinton.

WASHINGTON (66): Abby Herb 4 3-4 11, Madison Kramer 1 2-2 4, Jazz Royster 5 1-2 11, Tasha Roundtree 2 0-0 2, Danielle Franklin 6 4-5 17, Brooke Foreman 4 1-2 10, Colby Bjornsen 1 0-0 3, Callie Stone 0 0-0 0, Aleena Hobbs 2 2-4 6, Kelli Klaus 0 0-2 0, Shanay Gonder 0 0-0 0, Lauren Goodlove 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 13-21 66.

JEFFERSON (46): Alleigha Church-Green 1 2-2 4, Madison Blietz 2 0-2 4, Dani Stromert 3 5-10 12, Maddie Koolbeck 7 3-6 17, Kieley Brathwaite 4 1-5 9, Kylie Jonas 0 0-0 0, Hannah Towns 0 0-0 0, Molly Evans 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 11-25 46.

Halftime - Washington 36, Jefferson 22. 3-point goals - Washington 3 (Franklin, Foreman, Bjornsen), Jefferson 1 (Stromert). Fouls - Washington 22, Jefferson 18. Fouled out - Royster, Church-Green, Blietz.

Washington girls pull away in 4th quarter for win

DUBUQUE - The 4A fifth-ranked Washington Warriors girls basketball team moved to 9-5 overall and 8-4 in the conference with a 67-58 over Dubuque Hempstead on Tuesday night.

Danielle Franklin led the Warriors with 21 points. Jasmine Royster and Tasha Roundtree added 13 each.

"We were ahead 34-29 at half and they kept it pretty close," Washington Coach Frank Howell said. "In the last minute of the third quarter, the score was 45-40 and we had a quick 5-0 run to push it to 50-40 going into the fourth quarter. We had an 11-3 run over four minutes in the fourth quarter which was the difference."

Howell said he was concerned about this game after a tough road loss in overtime at Iowa City High on Monday night.

"I was concerned how our legs would be with the overtime loss and back to back nights on the road," he said. "And with this game being further away and everything. I was pleased with our effort overall. Hempstead played a 2-3 zone and we attacked it pretty well. We only had 10 turnovers tonight and that was good after turning it over 20 times against Iowa City High on Monday night."

The Warriors are in the midst of playing four games in six days. They play at Jefferson on Friday night in a girl/boy doubleheader before hosting Waukee in a non-conference game on Saturday.

Wash girls fall to City High in overtime

IOWA CITY - Nobody was blaming it on the snow day, but everyone was thinking it.

Tenth-ranked Iowa City High overcame a furious Washington comeback to win an important Mississippi Valley Conference girls contest, 66-57, in overtime at the Little Hawks gym Monday night.

Classes for the fifth-ranked Warriors were cancelled Monday, but Iowa City High had a normal day of school. Washington Coach Frank Howell didn’t want to admit it, but said it was probably a factor.

“We started a little flat,” Howell said about his squad trailing 13-2 to begin the game. “It was a different type of day for us against a really good team.

"I should have probably called for a shoot-around before we ever got on the bus, but I didn’t do that. That one is on me.”

The loss spoiled a big night for 5-foot-7 senior Tasha Roundtree, who had a career-high 23 points, six assists, five rebounds and three steals for Washington (8-5, 7-4). She was a whirling dervish with her no-look passing, runners in the lane and head-down drives to the bucket. She had 16 second-half points to lead the big comeback.

“She probably played her best game as a high school basketball player,” Howell said.

Washington trailed 16-8 after the first quarter and 30-21 at halftime. Led by Roundtree’s high-energy third quarter, the Warriors engineered a comeback. When Roundtree drained a 3-pointer at the end of the period, City High’s lead had been cut to just a single point, 41-40.

City High Coach Bill McTaggart felt relieved to get a win against a top-five team.

“We executed really well at the end of the game and that was probably the difference,” McTaggart said. “Our backup point guard was sick (Erin Danielson), so Washington was wearing us down and then got our big girl (Sierra Chambers) in foul trouble.”

Chambers sat for a good part of the first half.

Washington got its first lead with 6:51 to play in the fourth quarter when Danielle Franklin drilled a 3-pointer, making it 43-41. City High's Kiera Washpun made one of two free throws with 14 seconds to play, tying the score at 51-51. Roundtree’s long bomb as time expired was wide right and hard off the back rim.

In the overtime, City High (12-4, 7-4) outscored Washington 15-6. Roundtree scored all six of her team’s points before fouling out with 34 seconds left and getting a nice ovation from the Warrior crowd.

Stellar guard Mickey Hansche hit 10-of-10 free throws in the extra stanza to ice the win for the Little Hawks.

“I thought we did pretty well with their bigs,” McTaggart said. “That is our biggest win of the season.”

Iowa City High and Washington will play in the same regional. “Neither Frank (Howell) or myself are happy about it,” he said.

City High’s triple-tower combination of Chambers (11 points), super-sophomore Haley Lorenzen (17 points) and Harper Beasley gave the Warriors problems with their offensive rebounding and post-ups inside. City High also won the rebound battle, 31-25.

Howell was impressed with Hansche, who swished 12-of-14 free throws and also had a trio of 3-pointers for a game-high 27 points.

“She is probably the best stand-still 3-point shooter in the league,” he said. “It looked like tonight that her shooting 53 percent from 3-point range is not any fluke.”

The Warriors' busy week gets busier when they travel to play at Dubuque Hempstead Tuesday, visit Jefferson on Friday and host Waukee Saturday night. That’s four games in six days.

“Big week for us. We get to try and bounce back,” Howell said.

City High has won six of its last eight games. Washington lost for the second time in a row following Saturday night’s 64-60 setback to No. 2-ranked Southeast Polk.

Iowa City High and Washington are tied for first place in the Mississippi Division of the MVC with 7-4 records.

WASHINGTON (57): Jazz Royster 2 1-2 5, Madison Kramer 2 2-2 6, Kelli Klaus 4 0-0 8, Abby Herb 2 0-2 4, Brooke Foreman 0 0-0 0, Aleena Hobbs 1 0-0 2, Colby Bjornson 0 0-0 0, Danielle Franklin 4 0-2 9, Tasha Roundtree 10 2-3 23. Totals 25 5-11 57.

IOWA CITY HIGH (66): Kiera Washpun 2 1-3 5, Jordan Sullivan 0 0-0 0, Mickey Hansche 6 12-14 27, Harper Beasley 1 1-2 3, Sierra Chambers 3 5-11 11, Haley Lorenzen 8 1-2 17, Aliyah Gustafson 1 1-2 3. Totals 20 21-34 66.

Halftime - Iowa City High 30, Washington 21. 3-point goals – Washington 2 (Franklin 1, Roundtree 1), Iowa City High 3 (Hansche 3).