Focused defense spurs Lions

MARION — Linn-Mar used its bye in the substate quarterfinal to focus on slowing Dubuque Hempstead junior Martell Wilson, who had torched the Lions for 28 points in a 64-55 Linn-Mar victory just 10 days ago. That effort has them one victory from the state tournament.

Nic Uhlir played dogged defense on Wilson and also scored 14 points as Linn-Mar outlasted Hempstead, 62-52, in a Class 4A substate semifinal Friday night at Linn-Mar.

'We worked really hard at just trying to keep him in front,' Linn-Mar Coach Chris Robertson said. 'We had to have great help, try and not let him get to the basket.'

After two quick Wilson buckets in the opening moments, Uhlir bottled him up for the next 11 1/2 minutes as the Lions' lead ballooned to as large as 15 in the first half and 30-18 at the break.

Wilson started to find some offensive flow in the third quarter with five points to cut the Mustangs' deficit to 36-31, but sophomore Jordan Bohannon responded with a 3-pointer with 2:38 remaining in the third for a 39-31 Linn-Mar lead.

"Really proud of our kids, how we came back," Dubuque Hempstead Coach Curt Deutsch said. "We talked (that) a 12-point deficit at halftime was not that big a deal, and our kids responded that way in the second half."

A Wilson 3-pointer early in the fourth helped cut the Linn-Mar lead to five again, and Robertson eventually replaced a tiring Uhlir with Bohannon on Wilson.

Linn-Mar (13-9) found some breathing room with sophomore Jordan Brandt and junior Trevor Noble. Brandt followed his 10th 3-pointer this season with two steals off Hempstead rebounds and fed an open Noble under the basket on three straight possessions.

'What I try to do is set picks for people and get open underneath the basket,' Noble said. 'People call me 'sneaky' so that's what I try to get underneath the basket.'

That connection pushed the Lions' lead back up to 52-43 before Uhlir and Bohannon combined for 10 free throws in the final two-plus minutes. Bohannon finished with 15 points, eight rebounds, and three assists.

Wilson had a game-high 18 points, but just two free throws and a garbage-time putback over the final seven minutes. Avery Butler drilled four 3-pointers on a 13-point night for the Mustangs (9-14).

If the Lions are to return to the state tournament after a year's absence and make it 10 in 11 years, they have a mountain to climb Tuesday night against top-ranked Dubuque Senior (21-1) at Hempstead.  Linn-Mar lost by 25 points at home to the Rams back on Dec. 17.

"We've got to make our shots this time," Bohannon said.  "I think we were a little intimidated by their height, but if we attack again and get to the foul line, I think we'll get our points there this time."  

AT LINN-MAR

DUBUQUE HEMPSTEAD (52): Will Smith 1 0-0 2, Martell Wilson 7 3-4 18, Bailey Paulsen 1 0-0 2, Robert Duax 5 2-2 12, Avery Butler 4 1-2 13, Ty Putchio 2 1-2 5. Totals 20 7-10 52.

LINN-MAR (62): Nic Uhlir 3 8-10 14, Riley Murphy 1 0-0 3, Trevor Noble 4 0-0 8, Jordan Bohannon 3 8-8 15, Ben Larson 1 2-3 4, Jon Schlotterback 3 0-1 6, Lane Halupnik 3 0-0 7, Ryan Schmidt 0 0-0 0, Jordan Brandt 2 0-1 5. Totals 20 18-23 62.

Halftime: Linn-Mar 30, Dubuque Hempstead 18.  

Three-point goals: Dubuque Hempstead 4 (Butler 4, Wilson), Linn-Mar 4 (Murphy, Bohannon, Halupnik, Brandt).  

Rebounds: Dubuque Hempstead 22 (Butler 10), Linn-Mar 28 (Bohannon 8).  

Total fouls: Dubuque Hempstead 18, Linn-Mar 12.  

Fouled out: none. 

 Assists: Dubuque Hempstead 9 (Duax 4), Linn-Mar 8 (Bohannon 3).  

Turnovers: Dubuque Hempstead 8, Linn-Mar 11.