Washington Girls Basketball

Hayden helps Cougars top Wash in OT

Hitting a big 3-pointer in a clutch situation in a tense basketball game is a lot gentler on the nervous system than being the final shooter in a PK shootout in soccer, even though the outcome is hanging in the balance in both cases.

Just ask Kennedy senior Sydney Hayden.

"The last shooter in a PK shootout is a lot tougher, to be honest with you," said Sydney Hayden, who is an expert in both sports. "It's a little more nerve-wracking."

Hayden kept her cool Tuesday night and drilled a huge 3-pointer with seven seconds left in the fourth quarter to lift the Cougars into a 51-51 tie with Washington and force overtime in the Mississippi Valley Conference game at Washington.

Hayden then began the extra session with another 3-pointer to help steer the seventh-ranked Cougars to a 67-59 victory.

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Washington girls fall to Moline

The Cedar Rapids Washington girls basketball team lost to Moline (Ill.), 53-42, at the Washington gym Saturday.

The Warriors carried a 34-33 lead into the fourth quarter, but Moline outscored the hosts 20-8 in the final stanza for the victory.

Anne Visser scored 12 points for Washington (3-3).

Letecia Billups went 12-for-12 at the foul line and scored 16 points for Moline (7-3).

MOLINE (53): Stewart 3 2-5 10, Ealy 0 0-0 0, Rios 0 2-2 2, Gerard 5 1-4 11, Finch 1 2-2 4, Ritchie 1 2-2 4, Crompton 2 2-4 6, Billups 2 12-12 16. Totals 14 23-33 53.

WASHINGTON (42): Clark 4 0-0 8, Carey 0 0-0 0, Visser 5 2-4 12, V.Eniola 1 4-4 6, B.Hoeger 0 0-0 0, O'Donnell 0 0-0 0, M.Hoeger 0 0-0 0, Bruner 2 2-2 7, Puk 0 2-4 2, Riley 1 0-0 3, Mia 0 0-0 0, Johnson 1 2-2 4. Totals 14 12-16 42.

Halftime - Washington 25, Moline 24. 3-point goals - Moline 2 (Stewart 2), Washington 2 (Bruner 1, Riley 1).

No. 6 Lions hold off Warriors

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.

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Wash girls fall to No. 13 Tigers

The Washington girls basketball team struggled in the first half and lost to the 13th-ranked Cedar Falls Tigers, 63-52, Tuesday at Washington.

Jessi Puk scored 11 points and Annie Visser and Jayla Johnson added 10 apiece to lead the Warriors (3-1).

Cedar Falls led 11-6 after the first quarter and 26-16 at halftime.

Emma Gerdes had 25 points for the Tigers (4-0).

CEDAR FALLS (63): Johnson 3 0-1 6, Gerdes 5 14-18 25, Becker 3 1-2 9, Conrad 0 1-2 1, Barney 3 4-4 10, Wolf 6 0-0 12. Totals 20 20-27 63.

WASHINGTON (52): Clark 2 2-3 7, Visser 4 1-3 10, V.Eniola 2 0-0 5, B.Hoeger 0 0-0 0, M.Hoeger 0 0-0 0, Bruner 3 0-1 7, Puk 4 1-2 11, Riley 0 0-0 0, Mia 1 0-0 2, Johnson 4 1-2 10. Totals 20 5-11 52.

Halftime – Cedar Falls 26, Washington 16. 3-point goals – Cedar Falls 3 (Becker 2, Gerdes), Washington 7 (Puk 2, Clark, Visser, V.Eniola, Bruner, Johnson).