No. 1 North Linn edges Cascade at Rivalry Saturday, 49-44

CEDAR RAPIDS — It was what Brian Wheatley knew it would be.

'We knew it was going to be a dogfight,' he said. 'When you play Cascade, it always is.'

Class 2A top-ranked North Linn survived it, 49-44, as part of the Rivalry Saturday girls' basketball event Saturday night at Kohawk Arena.

Grace Flanagan scored 20 points and Ashley Tull added 18 points and eight rebounds as the Lynx moved to 2-0.

'At halftime, we were a little freaked out,' Tull said. 'I was a little frustrated. We needed to calm down, slow things down and play our kind of basketball.'

The Lynx led the whole way, but 2A No. 11 Cascade (1-1) stayed within arm's reach until the very end. The Cougars got down 39-30 and 43-33, but cut the deficit to 46-44 on Nicole McDermott's basket with 1:00 left.

Flanagan hit the second of two free throws to make it 47-44, then Cascade's Anne Ryan had a baseline 3-pointer go in and out with 10 seconds left.

Abby Flanagan iced it with two free throws.

Both of these teams were in the state tournament last year (Cascade reached the semifinals).

'There aren't a lot of teams on our schedule like them,' Wheatley said. 'It was a great test. We did just enough.'

'I'd like to see (fewer) turnovers,' Tull said. 'We still have things to work on. We'll keep chipping away.'

Ryan led Cascade with 19 points. Nicole McDermott and Abbie Ruggeberg supplied 10 apiece.

North Linn made its first bid at separation in the second quarter, building leads of 18-11 and 23-15. But the Cougars scored the final seven points of the half and were within 23-22 at intermission.

NORTH LINN 49, CASCADE 44

At Kohawk Arena

NORTH LINN (49): Grace Flanagan 6-11 3-4 20, Abby Flanagan 1-5 4-6 7, Anna LeGrand 0-9 0-0 0, Ashley Tull 8-11 2-6 18, Emma Ware 0-0 0-0 0, Kylie Kurt 1-2 0-1 2, Sydney Burke 0-0 0-2 0, Jenna Gallery 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-41 9-19 49.

CASCADE (44): Nicole McDermott 5-9 0-0 10, Anne Ryan 7-19 2-4 19, Jordan Simon 2-6 0-1 5, Rachel Trumm 0-3 0-0 0, Abbie Ruggeberg 3-11 2-2 10, Skylar Dolphin 0-1 0-0 0, Zoe Ryan 0-0 0-0 0, Robyn Takes 0-0 0-0 0, Abby Welter 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 17-50 4-7 44.

Halftime: North Linn 23, Cascade 22. 3-point goals: North Linn 6-20 (G.Flanagan 5-9, A.Flanagan 1-4, LeGrand 0-5, Ware 0-1, Kurt 0-1), Cascade 6-19 (McDermott 0-1, Ryan 3-7, Simon 1-2, Ruggeberg 2-8, Dolphin 0-1). Team fouls: North Linn 13, Cascade 17. Fouled out: Simon. Rebounds: North Linn 35 (LeGrand 9), Cascade 28 (Ruggeberg 8). Assists: North Linn 12 (A.Flanagan 6), Cascade 8 (three with 2). Steals: North Linn 14 (G.Flanagan 5), Cascade 7 (three with 2). Turnovers: North Linn 17, Cascade 17.

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