Metro Sports Report

Penn State clouds Big Ten bowl picture

There is no doubt in my mind the Big Ten has been wounded by the Penn State and Ohio State messes. A case in point, the 10 teams from the Big Ten that have qualified for bowl games still don't have a solid idea about who goes where.

Behind the scenes, there is the Penn State story. In essence, the bowls do not want to be associated with the Nittany Lions and their problems. So at this hour, we're still awaiting whether or not Michigan can become a BCS-eligible team. And that depends on the outcome of games this weekend.

Around the conference, there is the thought that Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany would like to find a way to get the Nittany Lions out of the bowl scene. But since this problem has never come up before, it will take a great deal of maneuvering for that to happen.

From the Iowa standpoint, it is still the Gator Bowl, the Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas and the Insight Bowl that are in play. For a 7-and-5 team it would be unusual for the Hawks to move up to Jacksonville, Fla., for the Gator Bowl, but it sure could happen this time.

Linn-Mar zones out Wahlert, 47-41

An aggressive zone defense provided Linn-Mar with a 20-9 first half run and a 47-41 victory over Dubuque Wahlert in a Mississippi Valley Conference girls basketball game Friday night.

Linn-Mar (3-1, 1-1) trailed by as many as nine points in the early going at home against the Golden Eagles. Coach Michael Brandt switched to a physical zone defense that forced Wahlert out of the lane and into an ineffective perimeter offense.

The zone turned the game around and supplied the spark the 14th-ranked Lions needed for the victory.

“We emphasized being more physical tonight and our zone defense was very active and disruptive,” Brandt said. “It seemed to be the difference-maker tonight.”

Linn-Mar made it a point to go hard to the basket in the second half and went to the foul line 15 times. When the Lions weren’t fouled they popped the ball back out for three 3-point baskets.

Cougars maul Burlington in boys hoops

For their season opener at home Friday night, the Kennedy boys ran up against the gang that couldn’t shoot straight.

Or dribble. Or pass. Or do much of anything right, actually.

At least in the first half.

Facing a woefully undermanned group of Burlington Grayhounds, the Cougars unintentionally rolled up a 47-7 lead at halftime.

With the clock running continuously the rest of the way, the two teams scrimmaged to a somewhat less embarrassing 69-26 conclusion.

Warriors struggle in 49-29 loss to Bettendorf

No Oglesby, no Washpun, no offense.

There wasn't much of anything for the Cedar Rapids Washington boys basketball team Friday night.

The Warriors scored six points in the first half and dropped their season opener to Bettendorf, 49-29, in a choppy game at the Washington gym.