This state trip will be an extended one for Iowa City Regina

DES MOINES — This year, “state qualifiers” simply wasn’t sufficient.

“We didn’t want to just get here,” Iowa City Regina Coach Mary Rogers said.

This trip will be an extended one.

Second-ranked Regina snapped a 42-all tie with eight straight points and fought past No. 8 Maquoketa Valley, 53-47, in a Class 2A quarterfinal at the girls’ state basketball tournament Wednesday morning at Wells Fargo Arena.

“The first two times I was here (in 2022 and 2023), there were a lot of nerves,” senior Morgan Miller said. “As a senior, it’s different. We played hard and played confident.”

The Regals (24-1) advance to the 2A semifinal round for the third time — they got there in 2016 and 2017 — and will face No. 3 Hinton (24-0) at 11:45 Friday morning. Hinton rallied from a 12-point deficit to beat No. 6 Rock Valley, 53-47.

Maquoketa Valley retired at 22-3, but the Wildcats were right there in the early stages of the fourth quarter.

Regina opened the second half with a 10-0 run for a 38-28 lead, but the Wildcats battled back, and Audra Burbridge’s reverse layup made it anybody’s game at 42-42 with 6:45 remaining.

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“We never gave up,” Maquoketa Valley’s Bianka Ronnebaum said. “We kept our heads in it. I just wish it would have ended a different way.”

Addie McLaughlin’s drive triggered an 8-0 run that put the Regals ahead to stay at 50-42. Miller had a pair of buckets in the surge.

Grace Richter’s 3-pointer got the Wildcats within 50-47 with 1:14 left, then the Regals clinched it at the line.

A Truman State signee, Miller finished with 17 points and eight rebounds. Ella McLaughlin added 14 points, Addie McLaughlin 11 (and seven assists).

“It’s been really fun playing with my sister,” said Ella, a senior (Addie is a freshman).

Ella had back-to-back 3-pointers in the Regals’ run to start the second half.

“I know my teammates trust me to make shots,” she said.

Ronnebaum paced Maquoketa Valley with 17 points and eight rebounds. Burbridge added 10 points.

The Wildcats posted a 37-31 rebounding advantage, but couldn’t fully capitalize.

“I felt we left a lot of points out there, probably 10-16,” Maquoketa Valley Coach Scot Moenck said. “But like I told the girls, when the season is going to end, I want it to be here.”

Iowa City Regina 53, Maquoketa Valley 47

Class 2A State Quarterfinal, at Des Moines

MAQUOKETA VALLEY (47): Lanni Beaman 1-5 0-0 2, Audra Burbridge 4-16 2-5 10, Bianka Ronnebaum 6-14 3-3 17, Jada Knipper 1-2 0-0 2, Grace Richter 3-7 0-0 7, Madison Thompson 0-0 0-0 0, Lexi Halverson 1-2 0-1 2, Leah Reicher 3-5 0-0 6. Totals 19-51 5-9 47.

IOWA CITY REGINA (53): Morgan Miller 7-12 1-2 17, Caitlin Martin 3-8 0-0 6, Ella McLaughlin 5-11 2-4 14, Addie McLaughlin 5-13 0-0 11, Adalee Klein 1-8 3-4 5, Ella Keune 0-0 0-0 0, Maggie Sueppel 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-52 6-10 53.

Maquoketa Valley 10 18 10 9 — 47

Iowa City Regina 14 14 14 11 — 53

3-point goals: Maquoketa Valley 4-16 (Beaman 1-5, Burbridge 0-4, Ronnebaum 2-5, Knipper 0-1, Richter 1-1), Regina 5-15 (Miller 2-4, Martin 0-1, E. McLaughlin 2-6, A. McLaughlin 1-4). Team fouls: Maquoketa Valley 12, Regina 8. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Maquoketa Valley 37 (Ronnebaum 8), Regina 31 (Martin 9). Assists: Maquoketa Valley 6 (Burbridge, Ronnebaum 2), Regina 11 (A. McLaughlin 7). Steals: Maquoketa Valley 6 (Burbridge 4), Regina 8 (Miller 4). Turnovers: Maquoketa Valley 13, Regina 9.

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com