MVC sends 6 into regional-final battle

The Class 5A portion of the girls' state basketball tournament could be a Mississippi Valley Conference parade. On the other hand, the MVC could get shut out completely.

Six MVC teams face regional-final games Tuesday, none against each other.

'I think (the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union) split up the MVC teams the best they could do it,' said Cedar Rapids Kennedy Coach Tony Vis, whose squad travels to the Quad Cities for a 7 p.m. date with Davenport North. 'We'll do our best, and we'll be cheering for the MVC teams, hoping they all punch their tickets to state.'

No. 11 Kennedy (18-4) faces No. 8 North (20-3), a high-scoring outfit trying to earn its first state berth in school history. It's one of two battles between the MVC and the Mississippi Athletic Conference; the other is No. 12 Pleasant Valley (17-5) at No. 4 Cedar Falls (20-2).

Four MVC teams battle foes from the mighty Central Iowa Metro League, which has captured the last three titles.

No. 2 Iowa City High (19-3) hosts No. 9 Southeast Polk (17-5), No. 6 Linn-Mar (18-4) entertains No. 10 West Des Moines Dowling (15-7), No. 13 Iowa City West (15-7) travels to No. 7 Waukee, and No. 15 Cedar Rapids Washington (15-7) gets its shot at No. 1 Johnston (19-3) on the road.

'I like our chances,' Washington Coach Frank Howell said. 'I think we're really in a great situation. We have a little bit of an attitude about it, nothing to fear. We're playing No. 1, and we're underdogs, but we have a lot of confidence.'

If the regular season was any indication, the MVC teams should be competitive against the CIML.

'I feel better about our odds that I would have a year or two ago,' Howell said. 'I think there will be some good matchups.

'I doubt it all six (MVC) teams will make it, but I also doubt that nobody will.'

This is the second year in 5A in which the more highly ranked team hosts the regional final. Before 2015, regional finals were at neutral sites.

Three MVC teams are at home Tuesday, three hit the road.

'Like I told our team (Sunday), one of our best wins of the season (against City High) came on the road,' Vis said.

The premier 4A regional final Tuesday will be at Eldridge, where No. 7 Marion (18-4) puts an 11-game winning streak on the line against No. 6 North Scott (18-4).

'The way we're looking at it, the state tournament starts this week,' Marion Coach Corby Laube said. 'If our goal is to win games at state, if our goal is to win a state championship, it starts Tuesday, because that will be a state-level type of game.'

Also in 4A, two-time state runner-up Western Dubuque (23-0) hosts Grinnell (16-6).

TUESDAY'S CLASS 5A REGIONAL FINALS

No. 15 CEDAR RAPIDS WASHINGTON (15-7) at No. 1 JOHNSTON (19-3), Region 2

* Time & site: 7 p.m., at Johnston

* Overview: It's been a revolving door at the top of the heap in Class 5A this season, and Johnston carried the No. 1 ranking into the postseason. The Dragons have won 11 games in a row, pulling away from Urbandale in the fourth quarter of a 55-38 regional-semifinal win. Washington is playing its best basketball of the season, with eight victories in its last nine games. The Warriors handled Davenport West, 78-57, in the regional semis. Anne Visser is a versatile senior, averaging 13.2 points per game while three of her teammates are close to double figures. One of them, Joniqua Clark, is the 5A state leaders in steals, with 104. Johnston provides a big challenge inside with 6-foot-4 Taryn Knuth (17.4 ppg, 9.5 rpg) and 5-11 Rachel Hinders (16.7 ppg, 7.3 rpg).

No. 11 CEDAR RAPIDS KENNEDY (18-4) at No. 8 DAVENPORT NORTH (20-3), Region 3

* Time & site: 7 p.m., at Davenport North

* Overview: Kennedy stands between North and its first state-tournament appearance. The Cougars won 14 straight games after a season-opening loss, and vaulted to No. 1 in January before closing the regular season with three losses in their last six games. They rebounded with a 47-25 win over Muscatine in the regional semifinals. Both teams have star power: Kennedy senior Lela Sellers is a Liberty University signee and is averaging 18.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game while North junior Jinaya Houston, a University of Iowa commit, counters with 19.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. Both have strong supporting casts — long-distance shooter Sydney Hayden and Hailey Dolphin for Kennedy, and Jacionna Stowers and Paige Bradford for North. The Mississippi Athletic Conference champion Wildcats are the top offensive team in 5A, averaging 68.9 points per game.

No. 10 WEST DES MOINES DOWLING (15-7) at No. 6 LINN-MAR (18-4), Region 5

* Time & site: 7 p.m., at Linn-Mar

* Overview: It wouldn't seem like a state tournament without Dowling in the big-school field; the Maroons have qualified 18 times since 1992. But Linn-Mar aims to send the Maroons home and qualify for the first time since 2011. Jaime Brandt played at state three times as a player and will try to make it there for the first time as a coach. The Lions slumped briefly in January, but have won nine straight games, grinding past Cedar Rapids Prairie, 56-51, in the regional semfinals. University of Iowa signee Amanda Ollinger leads the way with 17.7 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, and sophomore guard Kamryn Finley adds 12.0 points per contest. Dowling's Becca Hittner is a Drake signee and nets 19.6 points and 4.0 assists per game. Dowling co-coaches Bob and Sharon Hansen have a 41-year record of 773-236.

No. 9 SOUTHEAST POLK (17-5) at No. 2 IOWA CITY HIGH (19-3), Region 6

* Time & site: 7 p.m. at City High

* Overview: After earning his 400th career victory in the Little Hawks' regional-semifinal rout of Ottumwa, Bill McTaggart will try to guide the Little Hawks to state for the eighth time. He'll rely on the Joens sisters; senior Courtney Joens averages 16.7 points per game while sophomore Ashley Joens is one of the top sophomores in the state at 19.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per contest. Kenya Earl (12.3 ppg) provides a good third option. Southeast Polk has become a Wells Fargo regular. The Rams are seeking their sixth consecutive state appearance. They rallied to escape Ames, 38-37, in the regional semifinals for their fifth consecutive win. Casey Stuart averages 14.9 points per game to pace the Rams.

No. 13 IOWA CITY WEST (15-7) at No. 7 WAUKEE (16-5), Region 8

* Time & site: 7 p.m., at Waukee

* Overview: Defending 5A champion Waukee pursues its eighth state-tournament bid in nine seasons, returning most of the key components from last year's title team. At the forefront are Carlie Littlefield (17.5 ppg, 8.7 rpg) and Reilly Jacobson (17.0 ppg). It hasn't always been a smooth title defense for the Warriors, who have dropped three of their last eight games. Waukee ranks second in 5A in scoring offense at 67.1 points per game. West, meanwhile, takes a young team to suburban Des Moines with hopes of an upset and a fifth state berth in six years under Coach B.J. Mayer. The Women of Troy don't possess a double-digit scorer (though sophomore Rachael Saunders is close at 9.9 ppg), but have a balanced squad with multiple weapons. Maddie Huinker adds 9.2 ppg.

TUESDAY'S CLASS 4A REGIONAL FINALS

No. 14 GRINNELL (16-6) at No. 1 WESTERN DUBUQUE (23-0), Region 3

* Time & site: 7 p.m., at Epworth

* Overview: Western Dubuque takes aim at its third straight state tournament; the Wamac Conference East Division champion Bobcats were 4A runners-up to Harlan in 2014 and 2015. Megan Maahs has been the focal point in the Bobcats' run the past three years. The UNI signee averages 16.5 points and 11.3 rebounds per game. The Bobcats are second in 4A in scoring defense, allowing 32.7 points per game, but will be tested by a Grinnell outfit that leads the class in scoring (64.6 ppg). The Tigers edged Cedar Rapids Xavier, 62-58, in the regional semifinals. All six of Grinnell's losses have come by six points or less. Sophomores Sienna Durr and Kameron Moore average 16.0 and 12.8 points per game, respectively. Grinnell has never qualified for state.

No. 7 MARION (18-4) at No. 6 NORTH SCOTT (18-4), Region 4

* Time & site: 7 p.m., at Eldridge

* Overview: This serves as probably the best regional-final matchup in 4A, one in which the victor certainly has an opportunity to make noise in Des Moines. Marion advanced with a 47-38 win over DeWitt Central, its 11th victory in a row. North Scott, meanwhile, hammered Mississippi Athletic Conference rival Clinton, 60-17. Marion will start three sophomores — including Chloe Rice (14.4 ppg) and Mia Laube (10.0 ppg) — and two freshmen. North Scott junior Karli Rucker (15.1 ppg) has committed to play at the University of Northern Iowa. The Indians, co-champions of the Wamac Conference West Division, are seeking their first state trip since 2010 and have allowed 29.2 points per game in their last five contests.

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