Metro Sports Report

Paige takes final bow with Linn-Mar

DES MOINES - Marcus Paige ended his brilliant high school basketball career Saturday afternoon with some hugs, some confusion and a lopsided defeat.

Paige and the Linn-Mar Lions lost to top-ranked Ankeny, 66-49, in the consolation game for third place at the Class 4A state basketball tournament at Wells Fargo Arena.

It was a game neither team wanted to play.

Linn-Mar, the 2011 state champions, wanted to play for another title Saturday night under the bright lights, not before 500 fans in a mostly empty gym in the middle of the afternoon. Ankeny, the top seed, had bigger hopes as well.

Get ready for spring: Eat, sleep and recover

Teenage athletes all over Iowa are finishing their competitive winter sports seasons. Their appetites may be waning, they may be crankier and more tired than usual, and they probably are not exactly motivated to start working out for their spring sport.

Many have hit the proverbial “wall” in sports. How can they possibly get ready for the upcoming competitive spring sports season? Here are some healthy tips for parents, athletes and coaches to get athletes past this tough spot that seems to occur every spring in high school sports in Iowa.

PARENTS: Facilitate Recovery

1. Don’t panic. The physical and psychological “crash” at the end of a long and competitive season is very common in high school athletes. The physical and psychological stresses of participating in a competitive sport can take their toll on your teenager. They need some time away from the day-to-day pressures of training and competition. Give your kids some personal space and time to themselves.

2. Talk to your kids. Encourage open discussions about how they feel about the season ending and the upcoming season starting.

3. Encourage non-sport activities. Provide them with opportunities to relax and have fun!

4. Encourage your kids to get some restorative sleep. New research at Harvard Medical Center shows that getting at least 8-10 hours of sleep after learning a new skill will enhance memory and performance of that new skill. Sleep helps natural growth hormone release, which facilitates tissue repair and muscle growth, and keeps the immune system properly functioning to fight off illness.

IC West tramples SC East for Class 4A crown

DES MOINES -- Jeremy Morgan scored 26 points, Dondre Alexander added 14 and Iowa City West routed Sioux City East, 67-52, in the Class 4A championship game of the state boys basketball tournament Saturday night at Wells Fargo Arena.

Iowa City West, with four underclassmen in the starting lineup, finished the season with a perfect 26-0 record.

Sioux City East (21-4) was led by 7-foot-1 senior center Adam Woodbury, a University of Iowa recruit who scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds.

Lions stopped by No. 2 Trojans in semis

DES MOINES - The Linn-Mar Lions made Iowa City West a little nervous for three quarters Friday afternoon in the semifinals of the Class 4A state basketball tournament.

Then Dondre Alexander stole the show and Linn-Mar's bid for consecutive state titles fell by the wayside.

Alexander collected 14 of his game-high 27 points in the fourth period and No. 2 Iowa City West denied the fifth-ranked Lions, 71-51, at the Wells Fargo Arena.

The Lions trailed by only two points, 40-38, entering the final stanza and Linn-Mar fans had a question for the undefeated Trojans: "Feeling Any Pressure?" they chanted in unison.

Apparently not.

Iowa City West drubbed the Lions in the fourth quarter, 31-13, to win comfortably at the end.