Regals sizzle against Cascade’s zone

IOWA CITY - The Regina Regals didn't just solve Cascade's zone.

They scorched it.

Class 2A 11th-ranked Regina hit six first-half 3-pointers and shot a steamy 56 percent from the floor on its way to a 57-44 victory over No. 10 Cascade in a River Valley Conference interdivisional girls' basketball showdown Tuesday night at Regina High School.

'Everybody was a little jittery before the game. We were excited and pumped, and we really wanted to beat them,” said Regina's Kennedy Brown. 'We wanted to redeem ourselves from last year.”

Cascade defeated the Regals twice last season, including once in a regional-final thriller. But this is a new year, and Tuesday was Regina's night.

You kind of got that feeling when Cameron Verducci banked in the Regals' first 3-pointer. The Regals (17-2 overall, 14-2 RVC) scored the first eight points, built a 29-19 halftime lead and pretty much maintained that the rest of the way.

Regina clinched the outright South Division championship, its seventh straight league title. The Regals captured the South crown last year, and won or shared the Cedar Valley Conference title each of the five years of that league's existence.

Despite the loss, Cascade (16-3, 13-3) clinched a share of the North Division title, because second-place Monticello lost Tuesday at Mid-Prairie. The Cougars win the North outright if they win at Camanche on Friday.

Cascade's identity is its 2-3 zone, which has vanquished most of its foes through the past decade. The Cougars allowed 30.9 points per game coming into Tuesday, but Regina didn't flinch.

'When the ball goes through the hoop, it makes your offense look pretty good,” said Regina Coach Matt Bolger. 'We got an early lead, which was the opposite of how we've been playing lately.”

Cascade got as close as seven points early in the third quarter, but the Regals held firm, then pulled away at the end.

'Against good teams, we're just not very good,” said Cascade Coach Mike Sconsa.

Brown posted a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) to lead a balanced Regina attack. Sarah Lehman, Verducci and Hannah Stein scored 10 apiece, and Mary Crompton added eight.

Carolyn Trumm paced Cascade with 14 points. Bailey Holmes added 10.

IOWA CITY REGINA 57, CASCADE 44

At Iowa City Regina

CASCADE (44): Lynsey Dolphin 3-8 0-0 7, Bailey Holmes 4-9 0-2 10, Lisa Tucker 2-2 0-0 4, Claire Molony 3-6 0-0 7, Carolyn Trumm 5-13 4-6 14, Riley Takes 0-1 0-2 0, Abbie Ruggeberg 1-3 0-0 2, Macie Weber 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 18-43 4-10 44.

IOWA CITY REGINA (57): Mary Crompton 2-5 2-2 8, Sarah Lehman 3-5 3-6 10, Kennedy Brown 5-7 4-4 14, Cameron Verducci 3-8 2-2 10, Hannah Stein 4-6 2-4 10, Lauren Gaarde 1-1 0-0 3, Greyson Dumont 1-2 0-0 2, Megan Wick 0-0 0, Katharine Dunn 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-34 13-18 57.

Halftime: Regina 29, Cascade 19. 3-point goals: Cascade 4-14 (Dolphin 1-6, Holmes 2-6, Molony 1-1, Weber 0-1), Regina 6-17 (Crompton 2-5, Lehman 1-3, Verducci 2-7, Gaarde 1-1, Dumont 0-1). Team fouls: Cascade 15, Regina 10. Fouled out: none. Rebounds: Cascade 17 (Trumm 5), Regina 28 (Brown 10). Assists: Cascade 6 (Dolphin 3), Regina 12 (Stein 6). Steals: Cascade 10 (Holmes, Trumm 4), Regina 6 (Verducci 3). Turnovers: Cascade 10, Regina 14.

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