Washington Girls Basketball

Warriors knock Lions dead at free throw line

From the bench Tuesday, Washington Coach Frank Howell yelled out a dizzying array of numbers and play calls to his girls all night.

With two minutes to go and his Warriors ahead of Linn-Mar 47-42, he screamed, “Elvis. Elvis.”

“It means,” he explained later, “that if you shoot it, you’re dead. Elvis is the most famous dead guy I know.”

His teenage players might not grasp the significance of Elvis, he freely admitted, “But they know what ‘Elvis’ means.”

And they minded their coach, too.

After leading much of the way and then clawing back from a two-point deficit at the start of the fourth quarter, Washington ran its four-corners ball-control to perfection and closed out a 53-42 win from the free throw line.

The Class 4A seventh-ranked Warriors (8-3, 7-3 MVC) held the Lions (6-8, 3-7) to just two baskets in the final period, and one of them was a fluke.

Barely into the last quarter, Linn-Mar’s Courtney Major lofted a jumper that bounded high off the back of the rim, bounced from the top of the bank-board and dropped straight down through the net.  The unintentional trick shot gave the Lions a 40-36 lead.

But from then on, it was the Warriors all the way. Washington regained the lead with five minutes left on 3-pointer by junior Madison Kramer. Immediately following a rare turnover by spunky Linn-Mar sparkplug point guard Mykaela Brandt, Warrior sophomore Danielle Franklin hit another trey.

“That was a real turning point,” said Howell. “Not only did they put points on the board, but it energized us on the other end of the court.

“I thought from there out we did a very good job defending down the stretch.”

Linn-Mar’s only two points in the final 7:30 of the game came on a nifty spinning drive by the tough-as-nails 5-foot-6 junior Brandt.

“We gave them too many second, third and even fourth opportunities in the fourth quarter,” said Lions Coach Michael Brandt, Mykaela’s father.  “And then there was one point where we turned the ball over three times in a row.

“But what it came down to was that in the end, they hit their shots and we didn’t.”

In losing their seventh straight game and again without starters Shanice Cheatham and Rachel Thrune, the Lions got off to a slow start and seemed befuddled by Washington’s full-court press.

“But once we relaxed,” said Coach Brandt, “I thought we limited our mistakes and really went after them.”

Early in the third quarter, junior Sara Strauel hit three straight baskets to put the Lions up 33-28.  But two straight Washington steals led to easy lay-ups by leading scorer Jazz Royster.  A pair of free throws by Strauel and her tip-in at the buzzer gave Linn-Mar a 38-36 lead going into the final stanza.

Then the bottom fell out.

Royster, who led all scorers with 16 points and benefitted from a couple of nice feeds by fellow senior Tasha Roundtree, also snagged the final rebound of the night after Linn-Mar fired up a barrage of desperation 3-pointers.

“In the games we’ve lost this year,” Howell said. “We’ve doe a poor job of getting to the free throw line and a poor job of keeping the other team off the free throw line.  Tonight, we did a better job of taking it to the basket. And we emphasized playing defense with our feet more instead of our hands.”

The Warriors finished the night 22 of 27 from the line, while the Lions were just seven of 15.

LINN-MAR (42): Hannah Yearling 2 0-0 4, Mykaela Brandt 4 4-8 12, Sara Strauel 6 3-6 15, Courtney Major 2 0-1 5, Alexis Libenguth 0 0-0 0, Jenna Harms 3 0-0 6, Kristen Eiles 0 0-0 0, Carly Ryder 0 0-0 0, Lannie Nietert 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 7-15 42.

WASHINGTON (53): Abby Herb 2 1-3 5, Madison Kramer 2 1-2 6, Jazz Royster 3 10-10 16, Tasha Roundtree 3 5-6 12, Danielle Franklin 3 3-4 10, Brooke Foreman 1 2-2 4, Colby Bjornsen 0 0-0 0, Aleena Hobbs 0 0-0 0, Kelli Klaus 0 0-0 0. Totals 14 22-27 53.

Halftime – Wasington 25, Linn-Mar 25. 3-point goals – Linn-Mar 1 (Major), Washington 3 (Kramer, Roundtree, Franklin). Total fouls – Linn-Mar 19, Washington 12. Fouled out – none.

Foreman sparks Washington girls

Brooke Foreman is used to winning races on the track. Saturday night she helped win a basketball game.

Foreman, one of the premier track and field athletes in Iowa, made a layup and two key free throws in the final 37 seconds to help Cedar Rapids Washington post a 39-35 non-conference victory over Moline (Ill.) at the Warrior gym.

Washington moved to 7-3 overall. Moline, competing in the Western Big Six Conference, dropped to 13-10.

“I know I am fast and I know I can bring some energy to the team,” Foreman said. “I play my part and I try to do it well.”

Foreman has committed to run track at Drake University. She won the 400 meter hurdles at the Class 4A state track meet last year and owns the school record in 1:02.62.

“I love running and I know I can start a good run for our team,” she said. “I am not a leading scorer, but I know what I do well.”

Foreman’s two free throws with 13 seconds left sealed the win for the Warriors, extending the lead to five points as the hosts won their second game in a row after three straight losses.

“I had to show my confidence for my team,” Foreman said. ”We practice our free throws every day, so I am glad I was able to come through.”

Coach Frank Howell said Foreman’s athleticism was a key in the win.

“She is the state champion in the 400 meter hurdles and her ability fits in nicely with what we are trying to do,” Howell said of Foreman’s quickness in the fullcourt press. “Brooke is an asset especially late in the game when we are trying to get stops.”

The Maroons made a game of it thanks in large part to a dismal 22 percent field goal shooting performance by the Warriors. The hosts made just 3-of-13 shots from behind the arc and 6-of-27 two-point field goals. They won the game with 18-of-28 free throw shooting.

Washington was just 5-for-21 from the floor in the first half.

“You can label it as an ugly win, but no win is ugly to me,” Howell said. “We could have played better tonight, but if we can win when somebody else is dictating the tempo, that is a good sign for us.”

Abby Herb led the Warriors with 10 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. Foreman and Danielle Franklin had seven points apiece. Madison Kramer chipped in with five points, three rebounds and two blocked shots.

Jazz Royster had nine rebounds and four points, while Tasha Roundtree had eight rebounds, four assists, four blocks and four points.

Moline was led by Kylie Romeo with 10 points.

Moline led 10-8 after the first quarter, but the Warriors came back to take a 17-15 lead at halftime. The low scoring continued in the third period when Washington won 7-6, building a slim 24-21 edge. The hosts then outscored Moline 15-14 in the final quarter.

Howell said he is not concerned about the poor shooting.

“Your shooting is going to be there some nights and not others,” he said. “But if your defense is consistent, then you have a chance to win.”

Moline’s Emily Knight hit a big 3-pointer with 1:17 to play to knot the score at 30-30. Royster hit one of two free throws to make it 31-30 with 1:09 to play, Moline misfired on a 3-pointer and Washington then went into the four-corners to try and close out the game.

Franklin’s two charity tosses with 40 seconds left, followed by her steal and feed to Foreman for a layup, helped build a 35-30 cushion. But the Maroons were not finished yet.

They responded by hitting yet another bomb from Morgan Gerard to cut the margin to 35-33 with 23 seconds to play. Washington threw a bad pass on the in-bounds, but Herb picked up the loose ball and was fouled. She made one of two free throws with 21 seconds left to make it 36-33.

Moline called timeout and then the Warriors employed a full-court press before Foreman sealed the win with her two free throws with 13 ticks left on the clock.

“We still found a way to maintain our composure and win the game after they hit some big 3-pointers,” Howell said.

Washington hosts Linn-Mar on Tuesday.

MOLINE (35): Kristina Bozickivic 0 0-2 0, Morgan Gerard 1 2-2 5, Kylie Romeo 2 5-6 10, Emily Knight 2 1-2 7, Jordan de los Reyes 1 2-2 4, Ellie Peterson 1 2-4 4, Becky Lankford 0 2-2 2, Tiana McCormick 1 1-2 3. Totals 8 6-10 35.

WASHINGTON (39): Jazz Royster 0 4-6 4, Madison Kramer 2 1-2 5, Kelli Klaus 1 0-0 2, Abby Herb 2 6-11 10, Brooke Foreman 2 2-3 7, Aleena Hobbs 0 0-0 0, Colby Bjornson 0 0-0 0, Danielle Franklin 1 4-4 7, Tasha Roundtree 1 1-2 4. Totals 9 18-28 39.

Halftime - Washington 24, Moline 21. 3-point goals - Moline 4 (Knight 2, Gerard 1, Romeo 1), Washington 3 (Franklin 1, Foreman 1, Roundtree 1). Fouled out – De los Reyes.

No. 9 Warriors nudge No. 5 Saints, 40-38

It took nine games, but Tasha Roundtree finally helped Cedar Rapids Washington win a basketball game.

Roundtree scored 10 points Monday as the ninth-ranked Warriors trimmed No. 5 Xavier, 40-38, in a Mississippi Valley Conference game at the Xavier gym.

Roundtree was suspended for the first five games of the season because she failed a class. "It was a gym class, believe it or not," she said a little sheepishly. "I learned my lesson. It won't happen again."

Washington won all five of its games without Roundtree to get the season started in the right direction. She returned Dec. 20, but the Warriors were upset by Waterloo West that night and fell into a three-game losing streak.

Finally, the 5-foot-7 senior was able to steer her team to victory with some clutch baskets, ballhandling and defense. She put the Warriors in somewhat of a pickle by missing two free throws in the final 16 seconds, both times failing on the front end of a one-and-one, but Washington managed to survive.

"It won't happen next time," she vowed. "If I'm put in the same situation, I've got to knock them down."

Xavier Coach Tom Lilly called a timeout with 11.1 seconds left and the Saints trailing 40-38 with the ball. Katlyn Andersen drove toward the basket, but lost possession with 6.3 seconds to go.

The Saints (11-3, 6-3) fouled Roundtree with 4.8 seconds left, giving her a chance to ice the game, but she misfired again.

Andersen began dribbling upcourt for Xavier, but launched a long shot from more than 40 feet before she had to shoot. Lilly said there were still 2.5 seconds left when Andersen fired from the wrong side of midcourt, but agreed it's not what cost his team the game.

"What cost us was the first five minutes," he said. "That's not new. We've seen that all season long. When you play against good teams, they pound it on you."

The Saints did not score for the first 4 1/2 minutes and trailed 7-2 after the opening quarter. The Warriors (6-3, 6-3) took a 13-2 lead in the early stages of the second period before Xavier got untracked.

Andersen hit a pair of 3-pointers to ignite the Saints and they clawed within 18-16 thanks to a five-point spree by Hayley Deutmeyer. Washington led 22-16 at halftime.

Xavier tied the game, 30-30, on a three-point play by Lisa Boomgarden with with 1:38 left in the third quarter and it stayed close the rest of the night.

Danielle Franklin gave Washington a 36-32 advantage, but Andersen responded with her fourth 3-pointer to pull the Saints within 36-35.

Roundtree hit a runner to give the Warriors a 38-35 edge. Kayla Armstrong hit a free throw for the Saints, making it 38-36, but Franklin scored again to make it 40-36.

Armstrong hit a layup to pull the Saints within 40-38 with 1:49 remaining, but neither team scored again.

Washington Coach Frank Howell was happy to escape with the victory and end his team's three-game slide.

"I try not to put too much into it and I really didn't talk to anybody about it, but I think everybody knew that we'd lost three games in a row. I think sometimes you get a little extra hunger," he said.

"We knew we had to come out and have more energy at the beginning of the game, and I think we did that."

Roundtree and Franklin led Washington with 10 points apiece.

Anderson topped Xavier with 14 points, but none of the other Saints scored more than five points.

Lilly regretted his team's slow start, which was later compounded by seven missed free throws, several missed layups and other missed scoring opportunities.

"I'm really disappointed," he said. "We have plenty of seniors on the floor that have played a lot of minutes."

Xavier senior Alex Bartz, who averages 7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocked shots, got into early foul trouble and did not score.

WASHINGTON (40): Herb 2 2-2 6, Kramer 1 0-0 3, Royster 3 0-0 6, Roundtree 4 2-4 10, Franklin 5 0-0 10, Klaus 2 0-2 4, Foreman 0 0-0 0, Hobbs 0 1-2 1, Bjornsen 0 0-0 0, Goodlove 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 5-10 40.

XAVIER (38): Armstrong 2 1-4 5, Dale 1 1-2 3, Andersen 4 2-2 14, Walvoord 0 2-2 2, Bartz 0 0-0 0, Stulken 1 1-2 3, Noonan 0 0-0 0, Dickes 0 0-0 0, Bertsch 1 0-0 2, Boomgarden 1 2-4 4, Deutmeyer 1 3-3 5. Totals 11 12-19 38.

Halftime - Washington 22, Xavier 16. 3-point goals - Washington 1 (Kramer), Xavier 4 (Andersen 4).

Strait scores 34; Cougars stun No. 9 Warriors

Kennedy’s Courtney Strait called Friday night’s 62-59 home upset of No. 9 Washington “a complete team effort.”

She may have been the only one in the Cougar gym to see it that way.

“Too much Courtney Strait,” said Warrior Coach Frank Howell.  “She just kept her knocking her shots down.”

Especially from the free throw line, where the silky smooth senior hit 20 of 24 for the night.

And with the game itself on the line as Washington staged a furious fourth-quarter comeback, it was the calm and cool Strait who mostly handled the ball.

“Courtney is probably the best free throw shooter in the state,” said Kennedy Coach Dennis Roloff.  “That’s who we wanted up there. She had a wonderful game.”

She set the tone right from the start, hitting a 3-pointer, a driving lay-up and five straight from the charity stripe as the Cougars (4-5, 3-5) jumped out to a surprising 12-3 lead.  There were also two steals and a couple or rebounds in the mix during the first four minute surge.

The Warriors (5-3, 5-3) seemed shell-shocked, throwing the ball away and heaving up prayer shots.

Strait had 21 of her game-high 34 by halftime and could have had more if not for the selfless style of play where looks for teammates first.

Kennedy was up 35-19 at the midway point.

And the second half started no better for the Warriors.  They were listless, put the Strait on the line with flat-footed fouls and still couldn’t buy a basket.

The Cougars had their biggest at 48-29 as the fourth quarter opened.

But the Warriors roared back.

Flashy Tasha Roundtree popped in two straight 3-point bombs which seemed to fire up the rest of the team. They reeled off 10 straight points and cut the lead to 51-45 with four minutes remaining.

Roloff, who was back on the bench after having a baseball-sized abscess near his colon removed in an emergency surgery earlier this week, was beside himself.

“We’ve got a lot of inexperienced players,” he said. “And they started making some stupid passes.”

The lead was back to eight with a minute to go on a layup by steady Cougar senior Kaylese Johnson.

Then the inexplicable happened. Strait missed two of four free throws and even threw the ball away.

The Warriors’ Jazz Royster, who with Roundtree led Washington with 11 points apiece, made two clutch tip-ins.  But her open 3-point attempt at the buzzer bounced off the rim.

“The girls didn’t quit,” said Howell. “It was tough to come back But they got more aggressive and just started to play without out-thinking themselves.”

Afterward, Roloff was relieved.

“It’s a good thing we had a 19-point lead,” he said.  “But this is a big win for us. We’ve been close every game this year.

“It’s good to win one of them.”

WASHINGTON (59): Herb 1 0-0 2, Foreman 3 1-1 8, Bjornsen 1 0-2 3, Kramer 3 1-2 7, Royster 5 1-2 11, Roundtree 4 1-2 11, Franklin 2 1-2 6, Hobbs 4 0-0 9, Klaus 1 0-0 2. Totals 24 5-11 59.

KENNEDY (62): Meier 2 2-2 6, Strait 6 20-24 34, Simmons 1 0-0 3, Johnson 1 0-4 2, Holmes 1 2-4 4, Hendrickson 0 1-2 1, Botkin 5 2-3 12, Davis 0 0-0 0, Wagner 0 0-0 0, Zinser 0 0-0 0. Totals 16 27-39 62.

Halftime - Kennedy 35, Washington 19. 3-point goals - Washington 6 (Roundtree 2, Foreman 1, Bjornsen 1, Franklin 1, Hobbs 1), Kennedy 3 (Strait 2, Simmons 1). Fouled out - Herb, Foreman.