North Linn vs. Montezuma: A girls’ basketball regional-final study in 3-point marksmanship

You’ve got Lynx. You’ve got Bravettes.

But no Raiders. And absolutely, no “Lost Arc.”

Two of the state’s most prolific and accurate outside-shooting small-school teams — No. 3 North Linn (21-1) and Montezuma (21-3) — collide in a Class 1A girls’ basketball regional final Wednesday night.

Tipoff is 7 p.m. at Benton Community High School, Van Horne.

“They shoot a lot of them,” Lynx Coach Brian Wheatley said, referring to Montezuma and 3-point shots. “They’re a lot like us. They like to drive and kick for shots.”

Weather permitting, the state-tournament brackets will be filled Wednesday, with the completion of 1A and 2A regional finals. The North Linn-Montezuma encounter is one of four featuring area teams.

Maquoketa Valley (16-9) meets No. 5 West Fork (23-0) in the other area 1A battle, at Denver. In 2A, No. 5 Iowa City Regina (20-4) meets No. 12 Mediapolis at Muscatine, and Dyersville Beckman (13-10) pursues its first state berth, against No. 15 Aplington-Parkersburg (19-4) at Oelwein.

Winners advance to the state tournament next week at Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines.

North Linn (9.1 3-pointers per game) and Montezuma (9.0) rank 1-2 among 1A teams in that category. The Lynx also are tops in the class in 3-point percentage (.380) while the Bravettes are fourth (.338).

“We both run the same kind of stuff,” Wheatley said. “They like to attack from outside, make the extra pass. They’re really hard to guard, so we’re going to have to be sound defensively.”

Montezuma’s Mia Boulton ranks second in 1A with 64 3-pointers. North Linn has four players with more than 40.

“They’re a great team, very balanced,” Montezuma Coach Janel Burgess said. “It’s going to be a great battle.”

Somewhat by accident, Wheatley instituted a five-in, five-out substitution pattern.

“It has worked pretty well,” he said. “There have been times in which the second group came in and gave us a spark. It’s not something we scripted; it just kind of happened.

“After we lost to Mount Vernon (Feb. 6), we got back to working on our stuff. The girls came out and played really hard and came out with a lot of focus.”

North Linn won its first two postseason games by verdicts of 75-22 (over Iowa Valley) and 68-17 (against Calamus-Wheatland).

The Regina-Mediapolis battle also is a duel of sharpshooters.

Both teams hit 7.3 3-pointers per game. Both shoot better than 35 percent from beyond the arc, and the Regals lead 2A in “effective field-goal percentage,” at .534.

Mediapolis, meanwhile, boasts the leading 3-pointer in the state (all classes): Payton Bush has connected 91 times from long range this season, and is shooting 44 percent from deep.

Wednesday’s Class 2A Regional Finals

(All games 7 p.m.)

No. 5 IOWA CITY REGINA (20-4) vs. No. 12 MEDIAPOLIS (20-3)

At Muscatine

From a shooting perspective, Regina is the most efficient team in Class 2A. The Regals’ “effective field-goal percentage” of .534 is tops in the class. They are third in field-goal percentage (.465) and fourth in 3-point percentage (.351). Most accurate, and most prolific, among the Regals are sophomore Morgan Miller (17.7 points per game) and junior Alli Clark (14.8). The Regals are shooting for their second straight state berth, their seventh in 11 years. They won the River Valley Conference South Division title while Mediapolis captured the Southeast Iowa Superconference North. Both teams average 62 points per game, with four Mediapolis players averaging in double figures, led by senior Payton Bush (15.0 ppg).

BC Moore computer projection: Regina by 11.

DYERSVILLE BECKMAN (13-10) vs. No. 15 APLINGTON-PARKERSBURG (19-4)

At Oelwein

Beckman already has an upset win under its belt (43-31, over Cascade, in the regional semifinals, in which it overcame a two-point halftime deficit). Spring another shocker, and the Blazers advance to state for the first time in school history. This is a veteran team, with six seniors and two juniors comprising the rotation. Junior Reese Osterhaus leads Beckman at 10.7 points per game, while senior Shelby Pirc contributes 10.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest. Aplington-Parkersburg won both of its first two postseason games handily. Senior Ellen Waller (14.7 ppg) and junior Kendall Riherd (12.5 ppg) are the Falcons’ big guns.

BC Moore computer projection: Aplington-Parkersburg by 6.

STATE

No. 1 Dike-New Hartford (22-1) vs. Bellevue (16-7), at Manchester

No. 2 Central Lyon (21-0) vs. No. 10 Hinton (20-3), at Sioux Center

No. 3 Eddyville EBF (23-0) vs. Hudson (16-7), at Marshalltown

No. 4 Sibley-Ocheyedan (20-3) vs. No. 14 Sioux Central (17-6), at Spirit Lake

No. 7 Treynor (21-2) vs. No. 9 Panorama (21-2), at Harlan

No. 8 Pocahontas Area (19-4) vs. No. 11 Underwood (19-4), at Carroll

Wednesday’s Class 1A Regional Finals

(All games 7 p.m.)

No. 3 NORTH LINN (21-1) vs. MONTEZUMA (21-3)

At Van Horne

If you like action outside the arc, by all means, this is a shooting exhibit for you. North Linn is tops among 1A teams in 3-pointers per game (9.1), and Montezuma is No. 2 (9.0). The Lynx lead the small-school class in 3-point shooting (38.0 percent); the Bravettes are No. 4 (33.8 percent). North Linn has secured its 13th consecutive season with 20-plus wins (the longest in the state), averages nearly 72 points per game and allows just 33 per game, and a win puts it at state for the eighth time in the last 10 years. Led by juniors Kamryn Kurt (17.0 ppg) and Macy Boge (12.5 ppg), four Lynx have made more than 40 3-pointers this season. Montezuma has multiple outside threats as well, including senior Mia Boulton (15.6 ppg), whose 64 3-pointers are second-most in 1A.

BC Moore computer projection: North Linn by 29.

MAQUOKETA VALLEY (16-9) vs. No. 5 WEST FORK (23-0)

At Denver

After edging Edgewood-Colesburg in the regional-semifinal round, Maquoketa Valley takes aim at the lone unbeaten in Class 1A. The Wildcats are two years removed from a 2A state runner-up finish, and two players — senior Kennedy Rausch and junior Haley Ronnebaum — were valuable reserves on that team. Sophomore Bianka Ronnebaum leads the team in points (11.3), assists (4.3) and steals (2.3) per game. West Fork rolled through the Top of Iowa Conference East Division, and allow only just 29.4 points per game. Only one team (Saint Ansgar) has played the Warhawks closer than 16 points. Senior Emma Martinek averages 15.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, and sophomore Leah Weaver has accumulated 100 steals.

BC Moore computer projection: West Fork by 27.

STATE

No. 1 Algona Garrigan (22-1) vs. No. 11 Riceville (23-1), at Mason City

No. 2 Newell-Fonda (21-2) vs. No. 12 Ackley AGWSR (23-1), at Fort Dodge

No. 4 Remsen St. Mary’s (22-1) vs. Exira-EHK (19-4), at Mapleton

No. 6 Westwood (21-1) vs. No. 9 Woodbine (22-2), at Denison

No. 7 Council Bluffs St. Albert (17-6) vs. No. 14 Martensdale-St. Marys (20-4), at Atlantic

No. 8 Winfield-Mount Union (21-1) vs. No. 13 North Mahaska (20-3), at Williamsburg

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com