Linn-Mar coach Jaime Brandt may have done her best coaching Friday night before the game even started.

In their first tough test of the young season, her unbeaten Lions eked out a hard-fought 69-64 homecourt victory over the scrappy Washington Warriors.

Credit a blitzkrieg 14-0 start for the victory.

Sick and dizzy throughout (and after) the game and with a bucket in front of her at the bench, Brandt was suffering with the flu. Even with the new rule allowing coaches to stand during games, she barely moved from her seat. Still, she got her girls ready to play.

"We came out really strong,” star sophomore guard Kamryn Finley said. “Coach always has a huddle together in the tunnel before games and gets us pumped up. We were ready to kick some butt.”

Finley started the surge with a layup right after the opening tip. She nailed a 3-pointer a couple of minutes later. And when sophomore sub Ally Johnson hit another trey soon after, the Warriors were in the hole before they knew what hit them.

“Take away those points and we were right there with them the rest of the way,” Washington coach Frank Howell said. “We didn’t quit. The girls played as hard as they could play, and that’s all you can ask. Our shots didn’t drop at the end, but sometimes that happens.”

It was also a case of the home team making their free throws when it counted.

In a foul-filled contest (with 28 whistled on Washington and 18 on Linn-Mar), the Lions hit 32 of their 45 charity tries. The Warriors made 18 of 23.

And in the second half, as they were holding off a gutsy Washington comeback, the victors made 22 points from the free throw line and just 13 from the field.

“We really work on our free throws,” said Johnson, who came off the bench to score 16 points on three triples and seven free throws. “Coach is always telling us how important they can be in a close game.”

Johnson was five of six from the line down the stretch, while Finley knocked down all six of hers.

Senior Amanda Olinger also came through in the clutch with 14 second-half points to lead her team with 19. She also recorded a game-high 11 rebounds and four steals.

Needing 24 points to reach 1,000 for her four-year career at Linn-Mar and Jefferson, the second-year Lion fell short Friday on 5-for-17 shooting.

Diminutive 5-foot-1 senior dynamo Joniqua Clark led a balanced Warriors attack with 15 points, including nine from long-range. On one of her deep 3-pointers, she shot over the outstretched arms of the 6-foot-1 Ollinger and then tapped her on the head as she raced down court.

Clark also was the point-person on the ferocious Washington pressing defense which often caused havoc for Linn-Mar and allowed the Warriors back in the game.

“I thought we were aggressive on both offense and defense tonight,” Howell said. “And Joniqua was all over the floor. She’s just relentless.”

Linn-Mar raised its record to 5-0. Washington fell to 3-2.

WASHINGTON (64): Clark 4 4-6 15, Carey 0 0-0 0, Visser 3 1-1 9, V.Eniola 2 7-7 11, B.Hoeger 2 2-2 6, M.Hoeger 0 0-0 0, Bruner 1 2-2 4, Puk 1 1-2 3, Riley 1 0-0 3, Mia 2 0-1 4, Johnson 4 1-2 9. Totals 20 18-23 64.

LINN-MAR (69): Simmons 0 0-0 0, Lorenz 0 0-0 0, Johnson 3 6-6 15, Noggle 0 0-0 0, Akers 1 3-4 5, Frese 2 2-2 6, Lancial 1 2-6 4, Glanz 0 0-0 0, Murphy 0 0-0 0, Fensterman 0 0-0 0, Spies 1 0-0 2, Finley 3 6-7 13, Larson 0 5-6 5, Ollinger 5 8-14 19. Totals 16 32-45 69.

Halftime - Linn-Mar 34, Washington 26. 3-point goals - Washington 6 (Clark 3, Visser 2, Riley 1), Linn-Mar 5 (Johnson 3, Finley 1, Ollinger 1).