Iowa high school girls’ basketball scores: Class 2A and 1A regional finals roundup

After all 16 regional finals were postponed Wednesday night, most were able to play Thursday, determining the Iowa high school girls’ state basketball qualifiers in Class 1A and most of the Class 2A field.

Here’s a glimpse at each game, plus the IGHSAU’s 1A state tourney pairings. The 2A bracket won’t be out until Friday due to postponements.

Class 2A regional finals

No. 5 Iowa City Regina 55, No. 12 Mediapolis 54 (OT)

The Regals were down. Down big, in fact.

But never out.

Fifth-ranked Iowa City Regina (21-4) defeated No. 12 Mediapolis (20-4) in a 55-54 overtime thriller Thursday evening at Muscatine High School.

The Class 2A girls’ basketball regional final win put the Regals in the state tournament for the second consecutive season and the seventh in the last 11 years.

“I’m just so proud of the resiliency,” Regina Coach Mary Rogers said. “At halftime, they weren’t content with what was happening. The fire, I could just see it within them. They wanted this.”

» Read more from Gazette correspondent Ryan Pleggenkuhle

No. 15 Aplington-Parkersburg 50, Dyersville Beckman 38

Aplington-Parkersburg (20-4) broke a 12-12 tie at the end of one with an 8-0 run and led the rest of the way at Oelwein. Beckman (13-11) was still within 22-17 at halftime, but Kendall Riherd and Adison Williamson hit back-to-back 3-pointers for a 33-21 lead with 3:24 left in the third and the Falcons maintained a comfortable advantage. Jenna Lansing scored 15 points for Beckman, which was seeking its first state tournament berth after upsetting No. 6 Cascade in the regional semifinals.

No. 1 Dike-New Hartford 67, Bellevue 28

Defending state champion Dike-New Hartford (23-1) had no problems booking a return to Wells Fargo Arena. The Wolverines led 20-2 after the first quarter at Manchester and 41-11 at halftime. Bellevue finished 16-8.

No. 3 Eddyville EBF 71, Hudson 65 (3OT)

In the game of the night at Marshalltown, EBF (24-0) earned its first five-on-five state bid. The Rockets, who last reached the girls’ state basketball tourney in 1967, led 12-4 after a quarter, but Hudson (16-8) was up 23-18 at halftime. It was 49-all entering the first OT, then 53-53, then 61-61 before EBF gained the final advantage.

No. 9 Panorama 39, No. 7 Treynor 38

Tyme Boettcher’s go-ahead basket with 6.1 seconds left sent Panorama (22-2) past Treynor (21-3) in a thrilling doubleheader nightcap at Atlantic. The Panthers earned a second consecutive state berth [KMA Radio].

No. 8 Pocahontas Area 50, No. 11 Underwood 45

Pocahontas Area (20-4) earned its first trip to state since 2017 Miss Iowa Basketball Elle Ruffridge led it to the Class 3A championship six years ago. Pocahontas Area led 16-8 after the first quarter and held on at Carroll, preventing Underwood (19-5) back-to-back regional titles.

No. 4 Sibley-Ocheyedan vs. No. 14 Sioux Central — POSTPONED

Sibley-Ocheyedan (20-3) and Sioux Central (17-6) will play Friday at 7 p.m. at Okoboji.

No. 2 Central Lyon vs. Hinton — POSTPONED

Last year’s 2A runners-up, the unbeaten Lions (21-0) will face Hinton (20-3) at 7 p.m. Friday at Unity Christian.

Class 2A girls’ state basketball tournament

Pairings TBD

Quarterfinals — Tuesday, Feb. 28 and Wednesday, March 1

5:45 p.m. Tue.

8:30 p.m. Tue.

10 a.m. Wed.

11:45 p.m. Wed.

Semifinals — Friday, March 3

1:30 p.m.

3:15 p.m.

Final — Saturday, March 4

7 p.m.

Class 1A regional finals

No. 3 North Linn 69, Montezuma 40

How do you prepare for North Linn’s killer press?

“Once the brackets came out two or three weeks ago, we started simulating it with seven or eight kids against five,” Montezuma Coach Janel Burgess said.

Good plan. And yet ...

No. 3 North Linn picked off 16 steals, zapped Montezuma with a 20-2 second-quarter blitz and won Thursday’s Class 1A girls’ basketball regional final, 69-40, at Benton Community High School.

“We’re good about getting (the ball-handlers) to go to the sideline, and the second (defender) is able to go set the trap,” North Linn’s Molly Boge said.

» Read more from The Gazette’s Jeff Linder

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Simulation for North Linn’s press is one thing, but not the real thing

No. 5 West Fork 56, Maquoketa Valley 37

The Wildcats (16-10) were within striking distance of Class 1A’s last unbeaten, trailing 27-21 at halftime at Denver. But West Fork (24-0) started the third quarter on a 9-0 run and pulled away to earn its first state tournament bid since 2011. [Mason City Globe Gazette]

No. 1 Algona Garrigan 76, No. 11 Riceville 41

ESPN Top 60 recruit Audi Crooks and the defending champion Golden Bears (23-1) will be back at state. Garrigan jumped to a 21-8 first-quarter lead against Riceville (23-2) at Mason City.

No. 2 Newell-Fonda 76, No. 12 Ackley AGWSR 39

State tournament regular Newell-Fonda (22-2) left no doubt at Fort Dodge, building a 22-6 lead after one and 45-23 halftime advantage against the Cougars (23-2). The Mustangs won three straight championships from 2019-2021 before falling in last year’s state semifinals.

No. 4 Remsen St. Mary’s 51, Exira-EHK 43

Remsen St. Mary’s (23-1) earned its first trip to the girls’ state basketball tournament, denying Exira-EHK (19-5) a third-straight bid. The Hawks flipped the game by scoring the first 17 points of the third quarter after trailing 20-17 at halftime at Mapleton. [Le Mars Daily Sentinel]

No. 9 Woodbine 59, No. 6 Westwood 42

Woodbine (23-2) scored 23 fourth-quarter points to pull away from Westwood (21-2) at Denison. The Tigers led 36-32 entering the fourth after trailing 22-21 at halftime. They’re state bound for the first time since 1974.

No. 14 Martensdale-St. Marys 67, No. 7 Council Bluffs St. Albert 61

Martensdale-St. Marys (21-4) upset Council Bluffs St. Albert (17-7) in the first game of a doubleheader at Atlantic. The Blue Devils scored 41 points in the second half after trailing 29-26 at halftime.

No. 8 Winfield-Mount Union 52, No. 13 North Mahaska 47

At Iowa City West, Winfield-Mount Union (22-1) clinched its first state tournament appearance since 1998. The Warhawks (21-3) stunned the Wolves with an early 19-4 run and took a 22-17 halftime lead, but WMU recovered and led 39-37 after the third quarter.

Class 1A girls’ state basketball tournament

Quarterfinals — Wednesday, March 1

No. 1 Algona Garrigan (23-1) vs. No. 14 Martensdale-St. Marys (21-4), 1:30 p.m.

No. 4 Remsen St. Mary’s (23-1) vs. No. 5 West Fork (24-0), 3:15 p.m.

No. 2 Newell-Fonda (22-2) vs. No. 9 Woodbine (23-2), 5 p.m.

No. 3 North Linn (22-1) vs. No. 8 Winfield-Mount Union (22-1), 6:45 p.m.

Semifinals — Friday, March 3

1:30 p.m.

3:15 p.m.

Final — Saturday, March 4

7 p.m.