Washington Girls Basketball

Jones helps Warriors fend off Hempstead charge

Tiny track star Jasmyne Jones took just one shot from the floor Saturday night in the Washington girls 70-56 Class 5A regional semifinal win over Dubuque Hempstead.

But it was a big one.

Down 17 points and looking all but done at the start of the third quarter, the visiting Mustangs sprinted all the way back to within 50-46 early in the fourth.

But sandwiched between two 3-pointers by Dani Franklin, Jones swished from behind the arc her only attempt of the night.

When Kiki West-Doyle tipped in her own miss seconds later, the Warriors were suddenly back up by 15.

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Warriors 8th in final girls rankings

Cedar Rapids Washington is ranked eighth in the final Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union Class 5A girls basketball poll released Monday.

The Warriors (17-4) have a bye in the first round of the regional tournament that starts Wednesday. Washington will play either Dubuque Hempstead or Dubuque Senior in a regional semifinal on Saturday. A date against No.9 Southeast Polk (14-6) is possible in the regional final.

Despite having a losing record, Xavier (10-11) is 13th in the Class 4A rankings. The Saints also have a first-round bye and will play either Marion or DeWitt Central in a regional semifinal on Saturday at Xavier. A game against No.10 North Scott (15-6) is possible in the regional final.

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Franklin leads Wash to Valley title with 35

The Washington Warriors did not look like Mississippi Valley Conference champions when they got drubbed by Iowa City High by 46 points in the season opener in December, but that was eons ago.

Their conference journey had a happy ending Friday night.

Dani Franklin poured in 35 points as the eighth-ranked Warriors clipped Jefferson, 79-65, to claim the outright Valley Division title in the MVC with a 12-1 league record.

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Howell's tirades spark Wash to MVC title

Cedar Rapids Washington Coach Frank Howell had a couple of tirades in the first half Tuesday night that would have made Fran McCaffery blush, but his girls didn't mind and the tactic worked.

The eighth-ranked Warriors recovered from a slow start and defeated No.9 Kennedy, 64-55, to clinch at least a tie for the Valley Division title in the Mississippi Valley Conference.

Washington (16-4, 11-1) can win the outright Valley title Friday night against Jefferson at home.

Howell screamed at his players and slammed his clipboard to the floor during a timeout late in the first quarter after the Warriors committed a string of turnovers and fell behind 16-4. The veteran coach got red-faced again as he ripped into Dani Franklin between the first and second periods.

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