Metro Sports Report

Kennedy girls upset Iowa City West

IOWA CITY – The eighth-ranked Kennedy girls basketball team upset No. 5 Iowa City West, 60-54, Friday at Iowa City West.

The Cougars (13-5) jumped to a 17-6 lead in the first quarter and shot 30-of-44 from the free-throw line.

Stephanie Botkin scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Kennedy. Abby Hellweg had 11 points and Sydney Hayden added 10 points.

Dani Craig scored 15 points for the Women of Troy (15-2).

Marion girls rally over Clippers

TIFFIN – Four Marion girls basketball players scored in double digits as the Indians came back from a five-point halftime deficit to beat Clear Creek Amana 62-54 Friday at Clear Creek Amana.

Class 4A No. 13 Marion trailed 30-25 at halftime, but went on a 16-5 run in the third quarter to take the lead.

Amanda Sahm led the Indians (14-4) with 19 points, Chloe Rice chipped in 16, Mia Laube had 14 and Michalyn Mohr added 10.

Hanna Stokes led the Clippers (9-8) with 18 points.

Boys substates booked for U.S. Cellular Center

Ryan Luehrsmann remembers playing in the substate basketball finals at the U.S. Cellular Center as a junior at Cedar Rapids Washington in 1995. The Warriors lost to Jefferson that night, but the experience made a lasting impression.

"It was packed," Luehrsmann said Wednesday. "I think they had to turn people away, if memory serves me right."

Luehrsmann is the head coach at Xavier High School now and he's hoping the Saints will get a chance to have a similar experience at the U.S. Cellular Center this March.

The Iowa High School Athletic Association has reached an agreement with the U.S. Cellular Center to hold Class 3A and Class 4A substate doubleheaders at the arena in downtown Cedar Rapids.

There will be a Class 3A doubleheader on Monday, March 2 and a Class 4A twinbill on Tuesday, March 3. The games both nights are scheduled for 6:30 and 8. Tickets will cost $8 per night and fans can attend both games.

Sampson helps No. 8 DMACC trim No. 7 Eagles

Trey Sampson planned to play football at Wayne State University after he graduated from Xavier High School two years ago, but he changed his mind that summer and decided he wanted to play college basketball instead.

He picked Des Moines Area Community College over Kirkwood and Wednesday night he returned to Cedar Rapids and helped the DMACC Bears trim Kirkwood in a premier junior college basketball game at Johnson Hall.