A milestone passed, a bigger one looms

Tom Lilly quietly passed a milestone Tuesday night. A bigger one awaits.

Cedar Rapids Xavier picked up its 300th girls' basketball victory in the school's 17-year history Tuesday night, 46-35 at Dubuque Hempstead.

Lilly has been on the bench for all of them.

'One guy gets the recognition for the wins and losses on his record, but it really does take a village to run a basketball program,” said Lilly, whose mark is 300-111 at Xavier. 'My staff has a lot of responsibilities. We've had a lot of kids who give all they have for this team and this school. We have parents who are supportive.”

Lilly, 59, guided Xavier to state championships in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2013.

'He runs a first-class program,” said Xavier Athletics Director Mike Winker. 'It's very organized. The kids know what the expectations are, year-round. He helped put Xavier athletics on the map, because it was his (2003) team that won our first state championship, in any sport.

'There aren't many surprises from Tom. He's the whole package.”

Lilly's first 15 Xavier teams posted winning records, highlighted by the 26-1 outfit of 2004-05. That streak ended last year when the Saints went 11-12, but this squad is 9-4 and took Class 5A No. 1 West Des Moines Valley to overtime on Saturday.

The next anticipated milepost is No. 500 for his career, which could come late this season, or (more likely) early next. Add in his 13 years at Cedar Rapids Regis, and Lilly is 488-213 overall.

'I feel like I still have a lot to give,” Lilly said. 'I try to keep it engaging, and I still get nervous before every game. I feel I have as much energy as ever.”

5A TOP-5 SHOWDOWN AT WEST

Sole possession of the MVC Valley Division lead will be determined Friday, when Class 5A No. 5 Linn-Mar (10-1, 7-0) visits No. 4 Iowa City West (11-0, 6-0).

The Women of Troy have been a wrecking crew, winning their last nine games by 18 points or more.

'We've gotten contributions from a lot of kids,” said West Coach B.J. Mayer. 'The kids share the ball really well; they don't care who scores. And teams haven't been shooting a high percentage against us.”

West is led by its Division-I backcourt of Mikaela Morgan and Dani Craig, who has returned after missing her junior season to a torn ACL.

Morgan (14.5 points per game) and Craig (11.7 ppg) have signed with UNI and Cal State-Fullerton, respectively.

Amanda Ollinger's role is gradually increasing at Linn-Mar. She converted a tie-breaking three-point play in the final seconds of Linn-Mar's win over Cedar Falls last Friday and is averaging 10 points per game.

'I think (Linn-Mar Coach) Jaime (Printy Brandt) has done a great job working her in,” Mayer said. 'She had done a great job with that team anyway, and adding Amanda hasn't tipped over their apple cart.”

Ollinger, a junior who has committed to Iowa, transferred from Cedar Rapids Jefferson over the holiday break.

Freshman Kamryn Finley adds 9.8 points per game for the Lions, Olivia Montague 9.5.

THIS AND THAT

* Blair Klostermann scored a school-record 38 points in Dyersville Beckman's 75-64 win over Anamosa on Tuesday. Klostermann was 10 of 17 from the field (3 of 4 from long distance) and 15 of 16 from the line. She had scored 34 points in Beckman's previous game, a 70-55 loss to Mount Vernon.

* Tri-County snapped a 29-game losing streak - and a 50-game skid within the South Iowa Cedar League - when it defeated North Mahaska, 50-46, Monday at Thornburg.

* The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union has announced that it will release regional pairings Jan. 26 for Class 1A, 2A and 3A, and Feb. 2 for 4A and 5A.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com