Ollinger pushes Lions past City High

IOWA CITY — Amanda Ollinger can see the end of her high-school basketball career.

'Playoffs are getting close,' she said. 'I can just feel it. We just want to make sure there are no regrets at the end of the season.'

Ollinger netted 30 points, 18 rebounds and five blocked shots as Class 5A eighth-ranked Linn-Mar toppled No. 3 Iowa City High, 69-60, in a Mississippi Valley Conference girls' contest Friday night at City High.

'We didn't have an answer for her,' City Coach Bill McTaggart said. 'We were supposed to have more than one person on her. She got free reign from the top of the key to the low block. When she gets the ball on the low block, it's just too difficult to stop her.'

Linn-Mar (14-4 overall, 9-2 MVC) won its fifth straight game in a surge that included a road win at defending state champion Waukee.

'Basketball is a game of ups and downs,' said Lions Coach Jaime Brandt. 'As long as we peak at the right time, anything can happen. We're playing as well as we have all season, and it's definitely the right time to do it.'

The Lions took a 40-29 lead early in the third quarter before sophomore guard Kamryn Finley was called for her fourth foul. In her absence, City High pounced.

The Little Hawks (15-3, 9-2) seized the lead before the end of the third quarter, then extended their margin to 52-46 when Christina Hora swished a 3-pointer to start the fourth.

But Ally Johnson answered with a 3-pointer of her own, sending the Lions on a countersurge.

'She's one tough little sucker,' Brandt said. 'One of the toughest kids I've met.'

Said Johnson, who scored 10 of her 16 points in the fourth quarter: 'It was good to come down and hit a 3-pointer right after they had hit one.'

Ollinger scored on three consecutive offensive rebounds as the Lions reclaimed the lead for good. Her three-point play with 1:16 remaining was the dagger, giving the Lions a 66-56 advantage.

'We worked hard, knowing every possession counts,' said Ollinger, a University of Iowa signee. 'I take a lot of pride in my rebounding. I knew they were a little undersized, so I could get a lot of boards.'

Despite foul trouble, Finley tallied 17 points.

Sophomore Ashley Joens paced the Little Hawks with 22 points and eight rebounds. Sydney Schroder added 16 points. Ashley Joens, who will play at the University of Illinois, scored three points on 1-of-12 shooting.

Despite the loss, City High wrapped up the outright title in the MVC Mississippi Division. The Little Hawks have won or shared MVC divisional titles each of the last four years.

Friday's contest started a gauntlet of a schedule to close the regular-season schedule for the Little Hawks. City is at No. 1 Ankeny Centennial on Saturday.

LINN-MAR 69, IOWA CITY HIGH 60

At Iowa City High

LINN-MAR (69): Brittney Lancial 1-2 0-0 3, Alie Akers 1-3 0-0 3, Kamryn Finley 6-10 2-4 17, Lexi Frese 0-3 0-0 0, Amanda Ollinger 11-20 6-7 30, Ally Johnson 4-5 5-6 16, Megan Murphy 0-4 0-0 0, Carly Spies 0-2 0-0 0, Claire Larson 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 23-50 13-17 69.

IOWA CITY HIGH (60): Lauren Caris 1-1 0-0 3, Rose Gamamou 0-3 0-3 0, Ashley Joens 7-10 8-12 22, Sarah Overton 0-1 0-0 0, Courtney Joens 1-12 1-1 3, Sydney Schroder 6-9 1-2 16, Kenya Earl 2-5 2-2 8, Christina Hora 3-8 0-0 8. Totals 20-53 12-20 60.

Halftime: Linn-Mar 37, City 29. 3-point goals: Linn-Mar 10-22 (Lancial 1-2, Akers 1-2, Finley 3-4, Ollinger 2-6, Johnson 3-4, Murphy 0-3, Larson 0-1), City 8-25 (Caris 1-1, Overton 0-1, C.Joens 0-7, Schroder 3-5, Earl 2-4, Hora 2-7). Team fouls: Linn-Mar 17, City 18. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Linn-Mar 38 (Ollinger 18), City 30 (A.Joens 8). Assists: Linn-Mar 12 (Lancial, Finley 3), City 10 (Schroder 4). Steals: Linn-Mar 3 (Frese 2), City 6 (Gamamou 4). Turnovers: Linn-Mar 11, City 9.

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