Metro Sports Report

Jefferson's Creighton Robinson (white) drives the ball against Iowa City West's Dondre Alexander (left) and Jeremy Morgan (20) for the go-ahead basket late in Friday's game at Jefferson. Alexander's basket with 1:30 left lifted the top-ranked Trojans past No. 8 Jefferson, 50-49. (Photo by Ken Gilchrist)

No. 1 Trojans block J-Hawks at buzzer

Fri - 06 Jan Written by Jim Ecker

Taylor Olson nearly wrote a storybook ending for the Jefferson High School basketball team Friday night.

Unfortunately for Olson and the J-Hawks, Dondre Alexander had an eraser and rewrote the script.

Alexander scored the go-ahead basket for top-ranked Iowa City West and blocked Olson's shot at the buzzer as the Trojans escaped with a 50-49 victory at the Jefferson gym.

The J-Hawks rallied from a 16-point deficit, held the high-powered Trojans to just two points in the fourth quarter and gave themselves a chance to win at the end.

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Paige scores 31, outduels Iowa-bound Gesell

Fri - 06 Jan Written by Steve Allspach

SIOUX CITY -- Close friends off the court and the fiercest of mortal enemies on, Marcus Paige and Mike Gesell were matched in basketball warfare Friday night before a crowd of nearly 7,000 in the CNOS Classic at the Tyson Events Center.

The much-anticipated duel of Linn-Mar's Paige and South Sioux City's Gesell didn't disapoint, although Paige was clearly the Goliath in the packed room, turning the tables on Gesell, the David in this one.

North Carolina recruit Paige poured in 31 points and University of Iowa signee Gesell 18.

The Lions won 81-62, but actually sent a large portion of the crowd to exits early, building a 73-44 advantage with just over four minutes to play. Reserves on both sides then took over.

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Cedar Valley girls claim historic victory

Sat - 07 Jan Written by Metro Sports Report

BETTENDORF - The Cedar Valley Christian girls basketball team collected an historic victory Friday night.

The Huskies topped Morningstar Academy, 59-44, for their first victory as a member of the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union as freshman Shelby Hembera tossed in 33 points.

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Kennedy's Courtney Strait (10) drives to the hoop for two of her 34 points Friday in the Cougars' 62-59 upset win over No. 9 Washington at the Kennedy gym. (Photo by Margaret O'Banion)

Strait scores 34; Cougars stun No. 9 Warriors

Sat - 07 Jan Written by Tom Fruehling

Kennedy’s Courtney Strait called Friday night’s 62-59 home upset of No. 9 Washington “a complete team effort.”

She may have been the only one in the Cougar gym to see it that way.

“Too much Courtney Strait,” said Warrior Coach Frank Howell. “She just kept her knocking her shots down.”

Especially from the free throw line, where the silky smooth senior hit 20 of 24 for the night.

And with the game itself on the line as Washington staged a furious fourth-quarter comeback, it was the calm and cool Strait who mostly handled the ball.

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