Libby Fandel scored a school-record 34 points and played a brilliant all-around floor game, and Cedar Rapids Xavier defeated Iowa City Liberty, 53-45, in a Mississippi Valley Conference girls’ basketball game Friday night at Ron Thillen Gymnasium.
The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union will release girls’ basketball postseason pairings next week, most likely Wednesday. In the meantime, here is the final draft of The Gazette’s mock pairings.
Girls’ basketball: Class 1A top-ranked North Linn hit 13 3-point shots, committed only three turnovers and upended 3A No. 1 Mount Vernon, 60-48.
The Class 4A boys’ rankings saw a big shake-up this week (though Cedar Rapids Kennedy is still the clear No. 1) and that leads this episode of Call It Both Ways, a podcast about Iowa high school basketball.
Cascade’s Jackson Lieurance scored 47 points in a game last week, breaking a school record set by Creighton head coach Greg McDermott. He also set the school record for 3-pointers in a game. A few days later, West Branch’s Holden Arnaman scored a school-record 48 points.
The top-ranked team in Class 1A since the start of the season, North Linn is in the midst of a typically outstanding winter. The Lynx (15-1 overall, 12-0 Tri-Rivers Conference West Division) wrapped up their third straight divisional title — and their 10th in the last 12 years — with a 60-25 win over Central City on Tuesday.
Girls’ basketball area Super Ten: No change among the top 6 after another weather-affected week.
Solon’s Class 3A fourth-ranked boys’ basketball team stayed unbeaten Tuesday night with a 70-54 win at No. 8 Marion.
Class 3A No. 4 Solon beat No. 8 Marion 70-54 in a Wamac Conference East Division boys’ basketball game Tuesday night at Marion High School.
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Class 4A No. 10 Marion beat 3A No. 2 Solon 48-45 in a Wamac Conference East Division girls’ basketball game Tuesday at Marion High School.
Mila Van Weelden knocked home a go-ahead 3-pointer with 45 seconds to go, and Class 4A 10th-ranked Marion toppled 3A No. 2 Solon, 48-45, in a Wamac Conference East Division girls’ basketball game at Marion High School. Thirty-nine days had passed since Solon’s 28-point win over the Wolves.
Iowa hosts Maryland Wednesday night without Ladji Dembele, so Even Brauns could get his playing time extended as a backup for Owen Freeman.
North Linn lost its first game of the season last week to Linn County rival Alburnett and slipped from first to second in Class 1A in this week’s Iowa High School Athletic Association boys’ basketball rankings, with fellow Tri-Rivers Conference mate Bellevue Marquette assuming the top spot.
Cedar Rapids Washington’s boys’ basketball team trailed virtually the entire game Friday night against Cedar Rapids Jefferson. But a 15-2 run ended the game and gave the Warriors a 56-53 victory.
Cedar Rapids Washington’s girls’ basketball team went through the horror of a 1-21 season last season. But the Warriors are 6-8 this season, the winners of four out of five after knocking off Cedar Rapids Jefferson, 51-43.
Iowa high school football 2025: Gazette-area Week 3 games to watch. Battles of unbeatens include CCA-Xavier, Alburnett-Regina, Decorah-Wahlert, Mount Vernon-Solon and Iowa Valley-Montezuma.
Nelson Brands is an accomplished wrestler, winning three state titles and All-American honors in high school and college. He also trained under Hall of Fame coaches. Brands will bring those experiences to his new role as Iowa City Regina boys’ head wrestling coach.
Seventh-ranked Linn-Mar fell to No. 1 Waukee Northwest , 3-2, in the Class 3A girls’ state soccer championship at the Cyclone Sports Complex in Ames, Iowa Saturday, June 7, 2025.
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