Metro Sports Report

Cougars bop Lions for 11th in row

On her 18th birthday Tuesday night, Lela Sellers’ wish came true.

Fellow Kennedy seniors Linden Runels and Sydney Hayden made sure of it.

"All I wanted for my birthday was a ‘W,’ and we got it,” Sellers said after her 17-point performance helped lead the Class 5A fourth-ranked Cougars to a 60-47 win over ninth-ranked Linn-Mar.

The silky-smooth 6-foot Division I signee may have been high scorer, but a strong supporting cast made the difference in a 19-8 fourth quarter that sealed Kennedy’s 11th straight victory.

None were more helpful than the unheralded Runels and sharpshooter Hayden. With the game on the line, the two came through.

After a sometimes-sloppy three quarters, the Cougars had inched ahead of the Lions (6-2) just 41-39. But Hayden, the state’s leading 3-point shooter who was held to only two points in the first half, hit her first long-range shot of the night to open the final period.

When Kennedy super sophomore Hailey Dolphin hit a short jumper soon after, the Cougars were off to the races on a 11-0 three-minute run.

Coe wrestlers finish 2-2 at Duals

FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The 12th-ranked Coe College wrestling team lost in the second round and was eliminated by No. 17 Luther College in the consolation third round at the NWCA National Duals on Thursday.

The Kohawks opened the tournament with a 34-15 win over Coast Guard, but they lost to No. 7 Concordia-Moorhead 21-17 in the second round. Coe beat Merchant Marine 30-11 in the consolation second round, but lost to Luther 23-15 in the third round.

Top-ranked Farai Sewera had four wins at 165 pounds for Coe, including a pin, two technical falls and a major decision. Second-ranked Ryan Harrington had a technical fall and a decision at 174 and picked up a pin wrestling at 184.

Dolan, Herb pace Mount Mercy women

Ashley Dolan scored 28 points and Abby Herb had 24 to lead the Mount Mercy women’s basketball team to an 83-64 win over Presentation of South Dakota on Friday at the Hennessey Recreation Center.

The Mustangs led 22-17 after the first quarter and pulled away with a 29-12 edge in the second quarter.

Makenzie Zeitler had eight rebounds for Mount Mercy (7-11) and Herb added seven rebounds.

Haley Froelich had 25 points for Presentation (5-7).

PRESENTATION (64): Thomas 5 0-0 10, Froelich 11 2-2 25, Gomez 0 0-0 0, Larson 3 5-6 11, Toelle 2 2-2 7, Tomlinson 1 1-1 3, Fugate 1 0-0 2, Ayala 2 0-0 6. Totals 25 10-11 64.

MOUNT MERCY (83): Herb 10 4-5 24, Dolan 11 2-2 28, Weiland 4 1-1 9, Zeitler 2 3-4 8. Thompson 2 0-0 6, Goodman 0 0-0 0, Blowers 0 0-0 0, Jordan 0 0-0 0, Sexton 2 1-2 6, Valadez 0 0-0 0, Keating 0 0-0 0, Lampe 1 0-0 2, O’Donnell 0 0-0 0, Lehman 0 0-0 0. Totals 32 11-14 83.

Halftime – Mount Mercy 51, Presentation 29. 3-point goals – Presentation 4 (Ayala 2, Froelich, Toelle), Mount Mercy 8 (Dolan 4, Thompson 2, Zeitler, Sexton).

Balanced Lions dunk Cougars by 20

If you thought the Linn-Mar Lions were a one-man band, take another look and guess again.

The Lions played like a finely tuned orchestra Tuesday night in a 76-56 victory over the Kennedy Cougars in a Mississippi Valley Conference boys basketball game at Linn-Mar.

Linn-Mar star Jordan Bohannon does not have to score 40 points for the Lions to mow down a Metro opponent like he did against Prairie two weeks ago, not when his teammates are hitting all the right notes like they did against Kennedy.

Bohannon had a sub-par shooting night and scored only 17 points -- six points under his average -- but it hardly mattered with a balanced attack that kept Kennedy off-balance much of the night.

Riley Murphy had a hot hand and tossed in 17 points for Linn-Mar, Jared Printy notched 16 points, Jordan Brandt had 12 points and Beau Klostermann nearly made it five guys in double figures with nine points.