Wildcats, Lynx ... Round 3 awaits

 At this point, they're not going to fool each other."There aren't any secrets between us," Maquoketa Valley Coach Scot Moenck said of Friday's Class 2A regional-semifinal girls' basketball clash between the 11th-ranked Wildcats and No. 5 North Linn. "We know each other pretty well. The kids know each other."It's just going to be a good Tri-Rivers Conference battle ... Round 3."The rubber match between the Wildcats (20-2) and the Lynx (21-1) -- tipoff is 6:15 p.m. at Troy Mills -- highlights the area slate of 2A and 1A regional semis. Friday's winners play for state-tournament berths Monday.In the other 2A Region 4 game, Iowa Valley (19-2) hosts Eddyville EBF (17-5) at 7 p.m. In Region 5, No. 2 Cascade (23-0) faces West Branch (14-8) at Clarence, and Iowa City Regina (17-5) hosts Highland (15-8).Three area teams remain alive in 1A. No. 14 Midland (16-6) hosts Bellevue Marquette (16-6) in Region 3, Iowa Mennonite (14-9) is at Winfield-Mount Union (18-4) in Region 4 and English Valleys (14-8) hosts North Mahaska (12-11) in Region 5.Regional semifinals are Saturday in classes 4A and 5A, as are regional finals in 3A.Two factors keyed a regular-season split between North Linn and Maquoketa Valley.First was home court, with both teams holding serve -- the Lynx prevailed 39-25 at Troy Mills on Jan. 30; the Wildcats got even with a 47-32 decision five days later at Delhi.Second was the presence of Nicole Miller, who scored 23 points in the first contest, then fouled out of a one-point game with 6 minutes left in the sequel."That changed the complexion of the game," said Lynx Coach Brian Wheatley. "Hopefully, that's a one-time deal, because there's no secret that we're a better team when she's on the floor.""(Miller) is a difference-maker. She's one of the best players in the state," Moenck said. "We can't let her go off for 30 (points)."Both teams were impressive in quarterfinal wins. Maquoketa Valley handled Clayton Ridge, 56-36; North Linn shredded Jesup, 73-37."We hadn't played in 12 days, and the kids were excited to play someone else," Wheatley said. "They came out with good effort."Two area teams -- West Branch and IMS -- are still alive after surviving triple-overtime affairs in the last round. West Branch outlasted Durant, 55-51; IMS held off Clinton Prince of Peace, 45-36.West Branch rallied from a 20-14 deficit after three quarters to tie the game at 33-33 at the end of regulation."Once we got that game tied, I felt the momentum shifted to our side," said Bears Coach Jerod Tylee. "Ashley Finnegan really stepped up for us."The reward: a date with unbeaten Cascade."They're not overly flashy, but they've very opportunistic," Tylee said. "They're going to come after you for four quarters. If you give them the slightest opportunity to take advantage of something, they're going to do it."