West Branch brushes Regina aside, returns to girls’ state basketball tournament

WILLIAMSBURG - The Bears are back. They're better.

And this is their best shot yet to make their state-tournament stay an extended one.

Third-ranked West Branch led from start to finish, opened the second quarter with a 10-0 run and closed the third with an 11-0 surge. That was essentially the difference in a 62-39 Class 2A girls' basketball regional-final conquest of Iowa City Regina on Wednesday at Williamsburg High School.

'We're playing our best basketball right now,” senior guard Sasha Koenig said. 'We were at our gym, two hours before the bus left, getting some shots up.

'We were ready.”

West Branch (20-1) advances to the state tournament for the fourth time in school history, the second year in a row. It will face No. 8 Grundy Center (19-3) in a 2A quarterfinal at noon next Wednesday at Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines.

The Bears' first three state trips (1972, 2016 and 2020) were one-and-done propositions. This team is equipped to hang around a while. Maybe all week.

'We're pretty good,” post Delanie Luneckas said, in an understatement. 'We've got so many weapons that are hard to stop. When we get our outside game going, I can get some easy bunnies underneath.”

It was all humming Wednesday. Four players scored in double figures, Luneckas made it a double-double and the Bears shot 51.1 percent, including 10 of 20 from long range.

'We've all been playing together for so long,” said Taya Young, who like fellow starters Koenig, Lexie Peak and Rylan Druecker is a senior. 'We're comfortable with each other.”

The Bears weren't so comfortable in the regional semifinals, squeaking out a 41-37 win over Pella Christian. This was much more stress-free.

Leading 17-14 after a quarter, West Branch scored the first 10 for a 13-point advantage, and it was 35-22 at halftime. The second jolt turned a 37-26 margin to 48-26, and the Bears breezed to their third win of the season over the Regals (12-8).

'The last thing I said before the game, ‘Don't let tonight be bigger than them. They've been here before,'” West Branch Coach Jarod Tylee said. 'And they were up to the challenge.”

Koenig, who will join her sister Tatum at Bradley University next year, hit 5 of 8 shots from long range in a 19-point, eight-assist gem. Young added 15 points, Luneckas provided 14 points and 16 rebounds, and Druecker scored 11.

The starters scored all 62 of West Branch's points.

Annie Gahan and Hope Simpson tallied eight points apiece for Regina.

WEST BRANCH 62, IOWA CITY REGINA 39

Class 2A Regional Final, at Williamsburg

IOWA CITY REGINA (39): Grace Gaarde 1-9 0-0 3, Annie Gahan 3-11 1-2 8, Abby Clark 2-7 1-1 5, Lillian Simpson 1-5 2-6 4, Hope Simpson 4-8 0-1 8, Allison Clark 1-2 1-2 3, Allison Dillon 1-2 0-0 3, Emma Panther 1-2 0-0 2, Christelle Tungu 0-1 0-0 0, Tamiah Teran 1-2 0-0 3, Berlyn O'Connor 0-1 0-0 0, Madelyn Greve 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 15-50 5-12 39.

WEST BRANCH (62): Lexie Peak 1-2 0-0 3, Sasha Koenig 7-14 0-0 19, Delanie Luneckas 6-9 2-2 14, Rylan Druecker 4-8 0-0 11, Taya Young 5-9 4-6 15, Sadie Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Madison Hovancik 0-0 0-0 0, Abby Westcott 0-0 0-0 0, Savannah Sexton 0-0 0-0 0, Aly Klinkkammer 0-0 0-0 0, Allie Laschansky 0-2 0-0 0, Lexi Klinkkammer 0-0 0-0 0, Addie Wehde 0-1 0-0 0, Kylie Prescott 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-45 6-8 62.

Halftime: West Branch 35, Regina 22. 3-point goals: Regina 4-17 (Gaarde 1-6, Gahan 1-4, Abby Clark 0-2, L. Simpson 0-1, Dillon 1-2, Teran 1-2), West Branch 10-20 (Peak 1-2, Koenig 5-8, Druecker 3-6, Young 1-2, Laschansky 0-2). Team fouls: Regina 11, West Branch 8. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Regina 31 (H. Simpson 9), West Branch 31 (Luneckas 16). Assists: Regina 8 (Abby Clark 4), West Branch 11 (Koenig 8). Steals: Regina 9 (Abby Clark, H. Simpson 2), West Branch 6 (Luneckas 3). Turnovers: Regina 14, West Branch 12.

Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com