Big run, then big scare for Washington girls

CEDAR RAPIDS -- At the time, Cedar Rapids Washington's big first-half run looked like a game-breaker.   It turned out to be a game-saver.The Class 5A eighth-ranked Warriors went on a four-minute, 21-2 tear, took a 14-point lead, then held off Linn-Mar, 62-56, in a Mississippi Valley Conference girls' basketball game Friday night at Washington High School.   "They had a run early, then we came back with one of our own," said Washington's Aleena Hobbs. "Then we were able to keep our composure at the end."   Washington (14-3, 9-1) won its seventh straight game and maintained its one-game Valley Division lead on Waterloo West with three to play.   But the Warriors needed that big run, virtually all of it. And they needed enough plays down the stretch to keep the Lions (10-8, 5-4) at bay.   "We knew we had to stay focused," said Washington's Dani Franklin. "We expected Linn-Mar to play us tough. They're very good, very scrappy."   Linn-Mar cut the margin to a single point at 49-48 midway through the fourth quarter. But Franklin hit a 3-pointer with 3:40 to go to stretch it to four, then the Warriors made the necessary allotment of free throws to seal the victory.   The game featured three double-doubles: Hobbs recorded 18 points and 13 rebounds and Franklin posted 17 points and 10 boards for the Warriors. Linn-Mar guard Kristie Sommer notched 18 points, 13 rebounds and seven steals.   Sommer's twin, Katie Sommer, added 16 points.   "(The twins) are quick. They're fast," Hobbs said. "Actually, I think we did a pretty good job containing them."   The Sommers scored the Lions' first 11 points as they raced to an 11-3 lead. But the game changed on a dime as the Warriors began forcing turnovers in bunches.   Washington had a 14-11 lead when Courtney Squires hit a 3-pointer at the first-quarter horn. The Warriors kept building on it, extending the cushion to 24-13 at the 5:40 mark of the second quarter.   It was 32-19 at halftime, then Washington pushed the margin to 14 on a pair of occasions in the third quarter before Linn-Mar started to chop at the deficit.   "Outside of that four-minute stretch, I'm very proud of the way we played," said Linn-Mar Coach Michael Brandt. "We had that stretch in which we turned the ball over and missed some shots. But it was a great learning experience."   Linn-Mar was within 40-34 by the end of the third quarter, then got within three (40-37), then two (44-42), then one (49-48) on Katie Sommer's free throw at the 3:49 mark.   Before the game, Franklin was recognized for scoring her 1,000th career point last week. Franklin's mother, Deb Franklin, scored more than 1,000 as a six-player forward.   "I didn't know how many she had scored until recently," Franklin said. "I've never seen any tapes of (six-player basketball). But I've heard the rules were a lot different."  

CEDAR RAPIDS WASHINGTON 62, LINN-MAR 56

At C.R. Washington  

LINN-MAR (56): Kristie Sommer 6-16 5-8 18, Katie Sommer 4-19 7-9 16, Aryn Jones 2-5 2-4 6, Taylor Robertson 0-3 0-0 0, Nikita Sharna 1-2 0-0 2, Emily Makinster 0-0 0-0 0, Olivia Montague 2-8 3-4 9, Lannie Niedert 0-1 3-4 3, Brittney Lancial 0-1 2-2 2, Alie Akers 0-0 0-0 0, Claire Larson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 15-55 22-31 56.  

C.R. WASHINGTON (62): Aleena Hobbs 6-17 6-7 18, Jasmyne Jones 0-1 3-5 3, Dani Franklin 6-11 1-2 17, Kandis O'Donnell 3-8 1-3 7, M.J. Kamin 2-4 0-0 5, Sophie Ochs 0-1 0-0 0, Allie Semrau 0-1 0-0 0, Callie Cook 1-4 2-3 4, Joniqua Clark 0-1 0-0 0, Kiki West-Doyle 0-1 0-0 0, Courtney Squires 1-1 0-0 3, Anne Visser 1-4 0-0 3, Lilly Hartman 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 20-54 15-22 62.

Halftime: Washington 32, Linn-Mar 19.

3-point goals: Linn-Mar 4-24 (Kr.Sommer 1-4, Ka.Sommer 1-10, Robertson 0-2, Montague 2-8), Washington 7-19 (Hobbs 0-2, J.Jones 0-1, Franklin 4-7, Kamin 1-3, Semrau 0-1, Cook 0-1, Squires 1-1, Visser 1-3).

Team fouls: Linn-Mar 21, Washington 23.

Fouled out: Kr.Sommer, Franklin.

Rebounds: Linn-Mar 40 (Kr.Sommer 13), Washington 41 (Hobbs 13).

Assists: Linn-Mar 2 (Kr.Sommer 2), Washington 11 (Hobbs, Franklin, O'Donnell 2).

Steals: Linn-Mar 16 (Kr.Sommer 7), Washington 5 (Hobbs 2).

Turnovers: Linn-Mar 22, Washington 23.