Metro Sports Report

Saints nixed for U.S. Cellular Center

The Xavier boys basketball team was thrown an unexpected curve Monday.

If the Saints reach the Class 3A substate finals, they'll play the championship game at Iowa City West instead of at the U.S. Cellular Center in downtown Cedar Rapids.

There will be a Class 3A doubleheader at the U.S. Cellular Center for the substate finals Feb. 29, but the Saints have been assigned to a substate final with southern schools that feeds into Iowa City instead of Cedar Rapids.

"It's not what I expected," Xavier Coach Ryan Luehrsmann said Monday afternoon. "I was a little bummed by that. I'm sure the kids are a little disappointed, too."

Luehrsmann quickly pivoted, saying he likes the bracket he's in - there are no roadblocks like Dubuque Wahlert or Waverly-Shell Rock possibly blocking their path to the state tournament - and he said playing at Iowa City West would be OK if the Saints are fortunate enough to reach the substate finals.

Panthers are all grown up now

As the prep basketball season winds down, the hoops careers of a special group of local girls will also come to an end.

They’re seniors now, playing for several different area teams, but in their younger years they bonded together as Cedar Rapids Panthers.

During a six-year period starting in 2007 as fourth graders they won five AAU state championships. Not only were they the very best girls team in Iowa, they were among the elite squads in the whole Midwest.

Their record over that stretch was a sterling 234-65 (.783 winning percentage).

Soon, they’ll be going their separate ways.

All of them will be off to college, though only one is sure to play basketball. Accomplished multi-sport athletes, almost all of the others will compete on the collegiate level, but in soccer or softball.

Blood wins Metro Spotlight Award

Rylee Blood of Cedar Rapids Prairie is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school girls this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Blood, a senior, leads all Metro bowlers this season with a 196.7 game average and 393.4 series. She's rolled a high game of 266 this season and a high series of 470.

Blood ranks seventh overall in the state this year. Last year, she helped the Hawks place third at the Class 3A state tournament.

Kirkwood men sunk by Iowa Lakes

Iowa Lakes guard Chris Jones was born quick.

And when it comes to college basketball, the quicker the better.

Jones and his teammates were too quick - and tough scrappy - Saturday afternoon and upset the 10th-ranked Kirkwood Eagles, 95-85, in an ICCAC conference game at Johnson Hall.

Jones, who is generously listed at 6-foot-1, tormented the Eagles with quick jitterbug moves to the basket for a series of layups, and when he wasn't getting to the rim he was driving the Eagles on their heels and popping up for a quick jumper.