Iowa high school girls’ basketball regional scores: Class 3A state qualifiers determined Saturday

The 2023 Class 3A Iowa high school girls’ basketball state tournament field is set after regional finals Saturday night. Matchups for Tuesday’s Class 5A and Class 4A regional finals were determined Saturday as well.

Saturday’s Class 3A regional finals

No. 2 Solon 58, No. 11 Mount Vernon 44

Kobi Lietz hit six 3-pointers and scored 22 points, and the second-ranked Spartans jumped on their Highway 1 rivals early.

The Spartans (22-2) advance to state for the first time since 2006.

Hailey Miller added 14 points, University of Iowa recruit Callie Levin tallied 11, and Solon defeated No. 11 Mount Vernon (16-8) for the third time this season.

The Spartans led, 20-11, after one quarter, and maintained the advantage the rest of the way.

Chloe Meester scored 18 points for the Mustangs.

— Jeff Linder

No. 4 Benton Community 53, West Liberty 44

There was a time in which Jenna Twedt may have shrunk from these circumstances.

“My freshman year, I got down on myself easily,” she said. “This (game) might have gotten to my head.”

That was then.

Twedt, in the words of Benton Community Coach Jeff Zittergruen, was “spectacular,” the supporting cast was solid, and the fourth-ranked Bobcats defeated West Liberty, 53-44, in a Class 3A girls’ basketball regional final Saturday night at Benton Community High School.

“My head is spinning right now,” said Twedt, who led all scorers with 33 points. “Our first goal was to get back (to the state tournament).”

» Read more from The Gazette’s Jeff Linder

No. 10 Vinton-Shellsburg 52, No. 6 Grinnell 43

Vinton-Shellsburg (17-7) went on the road to earn a trip to state.

The Vikettes led 24-23 at halftime after Grinnell (17-6) ended the second quarter on a 13-0 run. Vinton-Shellsburg then outscored the Tigers 16-5 in the third to take a 40-28 lead.

Vinton-Shellsburg will make its first state tournament appearance since 1999 and fifth overall.

No. 1 Estherville-Lincoln Central 82, Algona 40

Top-ranked, defending state champion ELC (24-0) rolled back to state. Algona’s season ends with a 17-7 record.

No. 3 West Marshall 45, No. 13 Clear Lake 38

West Marshall (23-1) earned its 11th state tournament bid, its first since 2019. Clear Lake finished 21-3.

No. 5 Des Moines Christian 64, Harlan 38

Des Moines Christian (21-3) raced out to a 19-6 lead after the first quarter and returned to state for the fifth time, the first since 2020. Harlan wrapped up at 14-8.

No. 8 Dubuque Wahlert 57, No. 9 Osage 35

Wahlert (18-6) booked its ninth trip to the state tournament and second in the last three years, handing Osage (21-2) just its second loss of the season.

No. 7 Sioux Center 72, No. 12 Unity Christian 62

Sioux Center (18-5) denied Unity Christian (18-6) a third straight state bid, earning its sixth and first since 2018.

Class 3A girls’ state basketball tournament

Quarterfinals — Monday, Feb. 27 and Tuesday, Feb. 28

No. 1 Estherville-Lincoln Central (24-0) vs. No. 10 Vinton-Shellsburg (17-7), 5 p.m. Mon.

No. 4 Benton Community (21-3) vs. No. 5 Des Moines Christian (21-3), 6:45 p.m. Mon.

No. 2 Solon (22-2) vs. No. 8 Dubuque Wahlert (18-6), 8:30 p.m. Mon.

No. 3 West Marshall (23-1) vs. No. 7 Sioux Center (18-5), 10 a.m. Tue.

Semifinals — Thursday, March 2

1:30 p.m.

3:15 p.m.

Final — Friday, March 3

8 p.m.

Saturday’s Class 5A regional semifinals

Region 1

No. 1 Pleasant Valley 78, Davenport Central 34

Dubuque Senior 72, Cedar Rapids Kennedy 71

Region 2

No. 2 Johnston 73, Des Moines Lincoln 27

No. 15 Sioux City East 78, Council Bluffs Lincoln 41

Region 3

No. 3 Waterloo West 65, Ames 14

Waukee 57, No. 14 Des Moines North 48

Region 4

No. 4 West Des Moines Dowling 77, Sioux City West 26

No. 12 Iowa City West 72, Des Moines Roosevelt 57

Region 5

No. 5 Davenport North 61, Iowa City High 44

No. 13 Ankeny 56, Waukee Northwest 54

Region 6

No. 6 Ankeny Centennial 60, Urbandale 19

No. 11 Linn-Mar 45, Bettendorf 43

Region 7

No. 7 Southeast Polk 79, Cedar Rapids Jefferson 49

No. 10 Iowa City Liberty 70, Ottumwa 26

Region 8

No. 8 Cedar Falls 69, Dubuque Hempstead 33

No. 9 West Des Moines Valley 51, Cedar Rapids Prairie 25

Saturday’s Class 4A regional semifinals

Region 1

No. 1 Dallas Center-Grimes 45, Carroll 33

Humboldt 44, Fort Dodge 30

Region 2

No. 2 North Polk 66, Gilbert 53

Bondurant-Farrar 58, No. 14 Indianola 55

Region 3

No. 3 Sioux City Heelan 46, Le Mars 38

No. 15 Spencer 46, No. 11 Sergeant Bluff-Luton 39

Region 4

No. 4 Ballard 51, Adel ADM 34

Carlisle 65, Knoxville 25

Region 5

No. 5 Decorah 71, West Delaware 47

No. 13 Mason City 54, Waverly-Shell Rock 41

Region 6

No. 6 Cedar Rapids Xavier 54, Marion 47

Western Dubuque 64, No. 9 Central DeWitt 52

Region 7

No. 7 Clear Creek Amana 62, Fort Madison 28

No. 10 North Scott 63, Keokuk 34

Region 8

No. 8 Pella 52, Winterset 30

Glenwood 49, No. 12 Council Bluffs Lewis Central 45