End-of-regulation miracle allows Regina to escape in a 2A girls’ basketball regional semifinal

IOWA CITY — All they needed was a miracle. That’s all.

Granted.

No. 6 Iowa City Regina got a 3-pointer, a steal and a basket — all in the final 8 seconds of regulation — and topped Maquoketa Valley in overtime, 61-53, in a Class 2A girls’ basketball regional semifinal Friday night at Regina High School.

“I wasn’t ready for our season to be over,” said Caitlin Martin, who hit the clutch tying shot in the dying seconds. “I wasn’t ready to take that shot, but the ball was in my hands.”

Regina (19-4) will face No. 11 Cascade (16-6) — a 49-37 victor over Alburnett — in Wednesday’s regional final at Cedar Rapids Kennedy, with the winner advancing to the state tournament.

It looked dire for the Regals, who trailed by seven points with less than a minute left in regulation.

“The whole team fought like crazy,” said Morgan Miller, who scored 18 of her game-high 23 points after halftime. “It was just a fight. We prepare for situations like these.”

Maquoketa Valley (14-9) led 49-42 when Haley Ronnebaum made the first of two free throws with 0:51 left.

Miller hit a 3-pointer immediately thereafter to pull the Regals within four. The Wildcats’ Jada Knipper went 1-of-2 at the line with 0:30 to go to make it 50-45.

Then came a shocking turn of events.

Miller hit another long shot with 8 seconds left. Out of timeouts, the Regals stole the inbounds pass, leaving Martin with the ball. She drilled a do-or-die 12-footer from the left wing with 2 ticks left.

“We just got a little sideways at the end, and their kids made shots,” Maquoketa Valley Coach Scot Moenck said.

Ronnebaum hit the first basket of overtime to give the Wildcats a brief 52-50 lead, but Regina scored the next 11 points and pulled away.

“This felt like a regional final,” Regina Coach Mary Rogers said. “I’m at a loss for words. I’m just so proud.”

Maquoketa Valley scored the first nine points of the game, and led throughout the first three quarters.

A 10-0 run put the Regals in front, 40-38, then the Wildcats answered with an 11-2 surge and looked safe.

They weren’t, because they finished 9 of 21 from the line (4 of 10 in the last 1:41 of regulation) and turned it over 22 times, compared to seven for the Regals.

“The first part of the game, we weren’t doing what we normally do,” Miller said. “But at the end of regulation and into overtime, we played like we know how.”

Alli Clark supplied 18 points and seven rebounds for the Regals. Martin scored 11.

Ronnebaum led Maquoketa Valley with 19 points. Posts Leah Reicher and Grace Richter added 14 and 10, respectively, combining to make 10 of 14 shots from the floor.

Iowa City Regina 61, Maquoketa Valley 53 (OT)

Class 2A Regional Semifinal, at Regina

MAQUOKETA VALLEY (53): Bianka Ronnebaum 2-9 1-2 5, Alexis Halverson 1-3 1-2 3, Jada Knipper 0-0 2-4 2, Leah Reicher 5-6 4-11 14, Haley Ronnebaum 7-14 1-2 19, Grace Richter 5-8 0-0 10. Totals 20-40 9-21 53.

IOWA CITY REGINA (61): Alli Clark 6-14 5-9 18, Morgan Miller 7-19 3-4 23, Ella McLaughlin 2-8 1-2 7, Morgan Squiers 0-2 0-0 0, Caitlin Martin 4-8 3-4 11, Ella Keune 1-3 0-2 2, Lucy Nolte 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-54 12-19 61.

Maquoketa Valley 16 12 10 12 3 — 53

Iowa City Regina 6 13 16 15 11 — 61

3-point goals: Maquoketa Valley 4-14 (B. Ronnebaum 0-4, H. Ronnebaum 4-10), Regina 9-31 (Clark 1-3, Miller 6-17, McLaughlin 2-6, Squires 0-2, Martin 0-1, Keune 0-2). Team fouls: Maquoketa Valley 15, Regina 19. Fouled out: Knipper, Clark, Squires. Rebounds: Maquoketa Valley 39 (Halverson 12), Regina 25 (Clark 7). Assists: Maquoketa Valley 11 (H. Ronnebaum 4), Regina 13 (Miller 4). Steals: Maquoketa Valley 5 (B. Ronnebaum 3), Regina 11 (Keune 3). Turnovers: Maquoketa Valley 22, Regina 7.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com