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Linn-Mar Girls Basketball

Linn-Mar - Girls Basketball

Ally Johnson (center) puts her arm around Brittney Lancial after Linn-Mar lost to Johnston on in the state basketball tournament Friday. Also pictured are Claire Larson (left) and assistant coach Jeff Printy. (MSR photo by Margaret O'Banion).

Cold Lions fall to No. 1 Johnston

Fri - 04 Mar Written by Jim Ecker

DES MOINES - It's hard to beat a high school basketball team that has six future NCAA Division I or Division II athletes on its roster.

That's what the Linn-Mar Lions faced in the semifinals of the Class 5A girls state basketball tournament Friday and it was too much talent to overcome.

The top-ranked Johnston Dragons, oozing outstanding athletes at every spot, handed the sixth-ranked Lions a 51-39 setback at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

"They're a very tough team," said Linn-Mar coach Jaime Brandt. "They're athletic. They have some really talented players and they played really well today."

Taryn Knuth, a 6-foot-4 junior who neutralized Linn-Mar star Amanda Ollinger, has committed to play volleyball at Florida State. Elle Brown, a sensational 5-foot-11 point guard and the daughter of former Olympic track star Nathasha Kaiser-Brown, will play basketball at Missouri.

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Last Updated on Friday, 04 March 2016 18:43

Linn-Mar - Girls Basketball

Linn-Mar senior Brittney Lancial (21) and Coach Jaime Brandt celebrate their victory over Indianola in the quarterfinals of the Class 5A state tournament Wednesday in Des Moines. (MSR photo by Margaret O'Banion)

Ollinger stars as Lions bop Indianola

Wed - 02 Mar Written by Jim Ecker

DES MOINES - Amanda Ollinger always wanted to play in the state basketball tournament at Wells Fargo Arena, but she didn't make it as a freshman, sophomore or junior and time was slipping away.

Ollinger finally got her chance Wednesday and seized the opportunity with a monster game in the first round of the Class 5A tournament in Des Moines.

Ollinger scored 25 points and snared 22 rebounds as the Linn-Mar Lions stomped Indianola, 60-38, after blasting to a 20-point lead in the first half.

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Last Updated on Wednesday, 02 March 2016 19:12

Linn-Mar - Girls Basketball

Special year for Marion girls sports

Mon - 29 Feb Written by Jim Ecker

This has been an extraordinary year for the girls sports teams at Marion High School. And it keeps getting better.

Every girls team at Marion has won their Wamac Conference title and qualified for the state meet. Every single one, since the beginning of the school year until this very moment.

The volleyball team captured a Wamac title and qualified for state. The cross country team won a Wamac title and placed sixth at state. The bowling team finished third at the state tournament, and the only reason they did not win a conference title was because there are not enough bowling teams in the Wamac to have one.

Now the Marion High School girls basketball team will be playing in the Class 4A state tournament with an opening-round game against Harlan Wednesday morning at 11:45 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

"It's been a really fun year," said Corby Laube, the athletic director and girls basketball coach at Marion. "We've had a really good run with girls athletics.

"It's really neat the way they support each other," he said Monday morning. "And sometimes success breeds success. That confidence from one sport can carry over to another."

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Linn-Mar - Girls Basketball

Murphy wins Metro Spotlight Award

Sun - 28 Feb Written by Metro Sports Report

Megan Murphy of Linn-Mar is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school girls this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Murphy, a 5-foot-7 sophomore, played the best game of her career Tuesday when the Lions defeated Dowling Catholic, 61-49, in the Class 5A regional finals at Linn-Mar.

Murphy came off the bench to make seven 3-pointers and score a game-high 21 points to help the sixth-ranked Lions reach the state basketball tournament in Des Moines this week. Murphy shot 7 for 15 on 3-pointers and all of her shots came from behind the 3-point arc.

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Linn-Mar - Girls Basketball

Linn-Mar coach Jaime Brandt and the Lions celebrate their victory over Dowling Catholic in the regional finals Tuesday night at Linn-Mar. (MSR photo by Ken Gilchrist).

Brandt taking Lions back to state

Tue - 23 Feb Written by Jim Ecker

Jaime Printy Brandt is heading back to the girls state basketball tournament with the Linn-Mar Lions next week, only this time she's going as their young head coach instead of their star player.

It feels just as sweet.

The sixth-ranked Lions defeated Dowling Catholic, 61-49, in the Class 5A regional finals Tuesday night behind a pair of sensational performances by Megan Murphy and Kamryn Finley.

Brandt played in three state tournaments with Linn-Mar in 2006, 2008 and 2009. She made her first trip as a 15-year-old freshman and now she'll make this trip as a 25-year-old head coach.

Linn-Mar (19-4) will face Indianola (22-1) in the opening round of the state tournament at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 2 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

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Last Updated on Wednesday, 24 February 2016 08:29