Uncharacteristic accuracy propels Washington

CEDAR RAPIDS -- For one evening, the Washington Warriors went from ho-hum to excellent at the free throw line.

Jazz Royster went from good to perfect.

Royster's 10-for-10 display highlighted an uncharacteristically accurate free throw performance by Class 4A seventh-ranked Cedar Rapids Washington in a 53-42 Mississippi Valley Conference girls' basketball triumph over Linn-Mar Tuesday night at Washington High School.

The Warriors (8-3 overall, 7-3 MVC) hold a one-game lead over Iowa City High and Dubuque Wahlert in the Mississippi Division race with six games to play. Washington travels to City High on Friday.

They hold the upper hand because they owned the fourth quarter by a 17-4 count. And because they were solid at the stripe.

"Sometimes it goes bad, and sometimes it goes good," said Washington Coach Frank Howell. "Either way, it can be contagious."

A 55-percent shooting team this season, the Warriors drained 22 of 27 free throws (81.4 percent) Tuesday.

"I'm usually a pretty good free throw shooter," said Royster, who improved on her season-long 69-percent rate. "I think when one person makes shots, everybody starts making shots."

Linn-Mar (6-8, 3-7) dropped its seventh straight game, but not without a tussle. The Lions found themselves in front, 40-36, on Courtney Major's basket with 7:31 to play.

"It doesn't go into the win column, but it does for what we're trying to accomplish right now," said Linn-Mar Coach Mike Brandt. "Washington is a team with talented athletes, and we held right with them most of the way."

The Warriors scored 11 straight points, highlighted by back-to-back 3-pointers by Madison Kramer and Danielle Franklin, to take control at 47-40, then continued to pull away from there.

"We lost the lead when we were rushing the ball and throwing bad passes," Royster said. "We just calmed down and made good passes to set up good shots."

Royster led the Warriors with 16 points, Tasha Roundtree added 12 and Franklin tallied 10.

Sara Strauel paced Linn-Mar with 15 points and 11 rebounds; Mykaela Brandt posted 12 points.

It looked like a Washington cakewalk early. The Warriors jumped to a 16-7 lead before the Lions settled in. Strauel scored six straight points as Linn-Mar took its largest lead at 33-28 midway through the third quarter.

C.R. WASHINGTON 53, LINN-MAR 42

At C.R. Washington

LINN-MAR (42): Hannah Yearling 2-5 0-0 4, Mykaela Brandt 4-10 4-8 12, Sara Strauel 6-8 3-6 15, Courtney Major 2-9 0-1 5, Alexis Libenguth 0-1 0-0 0, Jenna Harms 3-4 0-0 6, Kristen Eiles 0-5 0-0 0, Carly Ryder 0-0 0-0 0, Lannie Nietert 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 17-45 7-15 42.

C.R. WASHINGTON (53): Abby Herb 2-4 1-3 5, Madison Kramer 2-5 1-2 6, Jazz Royster 3-8 10-10 16, Tasha Roundtree 3-10 5-6 12, Danielle Franklin 3-6 3-4 10, Brooke Foreman 1-2 2-2 4, Kelli Klaus 0-1 0-0 0, Aleena Hobbs 0-1 0-0 0, Colby Bjornsen 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 14-37 22-27 53.

Halftime: Washington 26, Linn-Mar 25. 3-point goals: Linn-Mar 1-14 (Yearling 0-1, Brandt 0-3, Major 1-5, Harms 0-1, Eiles 0-4), Washington 3-11 (Herb 0-1, Kramer 1-2, Roundtree 1-4, Franklin 1-2, Foreman 0-1, Hobbs 0-1). Team fouls: Linn-Mar 19, Washington 12. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Linn-Mar 30 (Strauel 11), Washington 30 (Herb, Kramer 7). Assists: Linn-Mar 7 (Yearling 3), Washington 9 (Roundtree 4). Steals: Linn-Mar 12 (Brandt 3), Washington 11 (Royster 4). Turnovers: Linn-Mar 12, Washington 14.

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