Ollinger starting, Linn-Mar winning

CEDAR RAPIDS - The Linn-Mar Lions have been a different team since inserting Amanda Ollinger into the starting lineup.

Following her transfer from Cedar Rapids Jefferson over winter break, the University of Iowa commit eased her way into the fold by coming off the bench for the first 10 games, the last six of which were Linn-Mar losses.

Since becoming a starter, the Lions are 4-0.

'It was just nice to kind of like ease into it and not just get thrown into a situation,” Ollinger said after helping Linn-Mar defeat Class 4A No. 7 Cedar Rapids Xavier, 42-24, Tuesday in a Mississippi Valley Conference girls' basketball game at Ron Thillen Gymnasium. 'I'm so thankful for the coaches and my teammates for helping me out.”

Ollinger led the Lions with nine points, eight rebounds and three assists. With the win, Linn-Mar (14-7, 10-2 MVC) keeps pace in the MVC Valley Division with Cedar Rapids Kennedy, a game behind Iowa City West.

'The coaches have worked with me a lot,” Ollinger said. 'Telling me when to drive and when to take shots. And my teammates, just knowing where they are ... where they're going to be and their tendencies. It's been a good process so far.”

Linn-Mar was exceptional on the defensive end of the floor. Ollinger and Lannie Nietert outmuscled the Xavier post players in the paint, while the trio of Brittney Lancial, Nikita Sharma and Claire Larson made life difficult for Xavier sharpshooter Lizzy Bailey. Bailey began the game averaging 14.1 points per game, but was held scoreless Tuesday.

'Any time she turned, we either had one of them on her and if she got by them, there was another layer there to help her out,” Linn-Mar Coach Jaime Printy Brandt said.

Sharma matched Ollinger with nine points, while Nietert pulled down five rebounds. Morgan Breitbach led Xavier (14-6, 9-3 MVC) with 10 points. After a 9-9 first quarter stalemate, Linn-Mar outscored the Saints, 33-13, over the final three quarters.

'Our defense won us that game,” Printy Brandt said. 'We played tremendous help defense and we matched up well to them.”

AT C.R. XAVIER

LINN-MAR (42): Lexi Frese 0 0-0 0, Olivia Montague 2 0-0 5, Nikita Sharma 4 1-1 9, Kamryn Finley 2 0-0 4, Amanda Ollinger 3 2-2 9, Natalie Ross 0 0-0 0, Allie Noggle 0 0-0 0, Alie Akers 0 0-0 0, Brittney Lancial 0 1-2 1, Megan Murphy 2 0-0 5, Claire Larson 0 3-4 3, Lannie Nietert 2 2-2 6, Totals 15 9-11 42.

C.R. XAVIER (24): Lizzy Bailey 0 0-0 0, McKenna Andersen 1 0-0 3, Morgan Breitbach 3 4-4 10, Amelia Ivester 1 0-0 2, Meghan Joens 0 0-0 0, Brylee Bastian 0 0-0 0, Kiana Stanek 0 0-0 0, Lexi Noonan 3 0-0 6, Kaitlyn Albert 0 0-0 0, Claire Christianson 0 0-0 0, Jenny Dickes 0 0-0 0, Madi Nelson 0 0-0 0, Maddie Kadlec 0 0-0 0, Kylie Brown 0 0-0 0, Maddix Stovie 0 0-0 0, Erin Drahozal 0 0-0 0, Totals 9 4-4 24.

Halftime – Linn-Mar 23-13. Three-point goals-Linn-Mar 3 (Montague, Murphy, Ollinger), Xavier 2 (Andersen, Stanek). Rebounds-Linn-Mar 23 (Ollinger 8), Xavier 13 (Andersen 3, Breitbach 3). Assists-Linn-Mar 8 (Ollinger 3), Xavier 4 (Bailey, Breitbach, Noonan, Dickes). Total fouls-Linn-Mar 8, Xavier 11. Fouled out-None.

l Comments: douglas.miles@thegazette.com