Tuesday’s best: Five area girls’ basketball regional games to watch (2A and 1A quarterfinals, Feb. 18, 2025)

The top area small-school girls’ basketball teams are coming off the on-ramp and merging into traffic at full speed.

Think Iowa City Regina. And reigning Class 1A champion North Linn. And others.

Class 2A and Class 1A regional quarterfinals are Tuesday. Regina (2A No. 2, 20-1) and North Linn (1A No. 2, 20-1) aren’t expected to meet much resistance, yet.

The Regals host Bellevue (9-13), and North Linn welcomes North Tama (9-12). Both are heavily favored.

So are area ranked teams like Maquoketa Valley in 2A and Montezuma and Springville in 1A.

But there are some games of intrigue Tuesday. Here are five of the best:

Wapsie Valley (9-12) at MFL MarMac (14-8)

Class 2A Region 8 quarterfinal

MFL MarMac claimed a share of the Upper Iowa Conference championship, but the Bulldogs are 0-6 in non-conference games. Their top two scorers — Emme Wikner (11 ppg) and Emma Driscoll (7.4 ppg) — are sophomores. Defense is MFL MarMac’s strength, though; the Bulldogs allow 34.2 points per contest, seventh best in 2A. Wapsie Valley was the NICL East runner-up, but dropped its last six games of the regular season. Peyton Curley leads the Warriors at 11.3 points per game.

Iowa Valley (7-16) at English Valleys (12-9)

Class 1A Region 2 quarterfinal

English Valleys swept the regular-season games by counts of 53-30 and 55-38. The Bears advanced with a 54-31 first-round victory over North Cedar while Iowa Valley edged HLV/Tri-County in an overtime thriller, 53-52, behind 24 points and 11 rebounds from Lydia Kriegel. The senior averages 17.7 points and 7.5 boards per game. English Valleys has an extremely young roster — six sophomores, three freshmen, and that’s it. Soph Ava Gehrking posts 11.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game.

Turkey Valley (17-5) at Lansing Kee (17-6)

Class 1A Region 5 quarterfinal

This shapes up as the best game of the night. Turkey Valley was a co-champion of the Upper Iowa Conference (with MFL MarMac) at 14-2, and Kee finished a game back. The teams split their regular-season meetings, with Turkey Valley claiming the more recent game, 59-42, Jan. 17. Both teams won their first-round games decisively. Addison Steinlage leads Turkey Valley at 12.6 points per game, while Isabella Stika adds 10.5 points and 14.2 rebounds per contest. Addison Winters (16.2 ppg) and Rylee Mudderman (14.7) are the top scorers for Kee, which does not have a senior starter.

Edgewood-Colesburg (12-10) at No. 10 East Buchanan (15-6)

Class 1A Region 5 quarterfinal

East Buchanan chases its third win of the season against Ed-Co; the Buccaneers claimed 60-46 and 69-52 victories in the regular season. East Buchanan finished fourth in the Tri-Rivers West Division while Ed-Co tied for fifth, and they combined to go 18-1 outside the division. The Bucs’ senior trio of Laynee Hogan, Peyton Bose and Grace Long combine for 43 points per game. East Buchanan has averaged 15.5 wins in the last eight seasons. Ed-Co was a regional finalist last year and is led by junior Lilee Boriskey (21.1 points, 10.2 rebounds per game).

Hillcrest Academy (11-11) at Highland (16-7)

Class 1A Region 7 quarterfinal

Highland boasts one of the state’s top rebounders in freshman Kamryn Fink, who averages 16.7 points and 14.9 boards per game in her rookie campaign. The Huskies won both games against the Ravens in the regular season, 60-40 and 56-50. Highland handled Wapello in Round 1, 48-29, while Hillcrest survived a test from New London, 47-44. This is Hillcrest’s best season since a 15-9 campaign in 2013-14. Junior Claire Withrow and senior Malia Yoder pace the Ravens at 15.0 and 14.6 ppg, respectively.

Tuesday’s Class 2A Regional Quarterfinals

(All games 7 p.m.)

Region 2

Bellevue (9-13) at No. 2 Iowa City Regina (20-1)

Durant (12-9) at Cascade (15-7)

West Burlington (8-14) at Columbus Community (17-4)

Louisa-Muscatine (7-14) at Danville (13-8)

Region 5

Pella Christian (8-14) at No. 4 North Mahaska (19-2)

Alburnett (9-12) at Grundy Center (14-7)

Lisbon (9-13) at Jesup (17-4)

Waterloo Columbus (2-19) at Hudson (16-6)

Region 8

Dyersville Beckman (3-19) at No. 8 Maquoketa Valley (19-2)

Wapsie Valley (9-12) at MFL MarMac (14-8)

South Winneshiek (10-12) at No. 7 Denver (20-2)

North Butler (3-17) at Aplington-Parkersburg (14-7)

Tuesday’s Class 1A Regional Quarterfinals

(All games 7 p.m.)

Region 2

North Tama (9-12) at No. 2 North Linn (20-1)

Iowa Valley (7-16) at English Valleys (12-9)

Waterloo Christian (8-15) at Bellevue Marquette (15-4)

Easton Valley (11-8) at Calamus-Wheatland (14-9)

Region 5

Janesville (13-9) at No. 5 Riceville (20-1)

Turkey Valley (17-5) at Lansing Kee (17-6)

Edgewood-Colesburg (12-10) at No. 10 East Buchanan (15-6)

Clarksville (14-9) at Dunkerton (14-7)

Region 6

Moravia (12-11) at No. 6 Montezuma (16-5)

Murray (15-7) at Melcher-Dallas (16-5)

Lamoni (13-9) at No. 9 Mount Ayr (20-1)

Wayne (13-9) at Lenox (17-5)

Region 7

Winfield-Mount Union (6-16) at No. 7 Springville (17-4)

Hillcrest Academy (11-11) at Highland (16-7)

WACO (15-8) at No. 14 Sigourney (17-5)

Fort Madison Holy Trinity (15-6) at Lone Tree (19-3)

Region 8

BGM (8-14) at No. 8 Gladbrook-Reinbeck (18-3)

Baxter (12-9) at Conrad BCLUW (15-7)

Madrid (7-15) at No. 11 Lynnville-Sully (16-5)

Ankeny Christian (16-6) at Martensdale-St. Marys (16-5)

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com