Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Regina enters the postseason riding a seven-game winning streak and winners of 12 of its last 13.

It is the one loss in that stretch that sticks out to Regina junior Alex Wiese.

The lone setback for Class 2A No. 7 Regina in 2018 was a 75-61 loss top 5A top-ranked City High on January 20.

That loss to the Little Hawks may also prove to be the turning point of the season for Wiese and her Regina teammates.

“I think it showed that we can play tough against super tough teams and I think that helped build our confidence a lot,” Wiese said of the loss to City High. “They are the number one 5A school so they are really good and we showed we can play at their level.”

Just like Regina, Wiese was humming along toward another strong season before the meeting with City High.

Wiese had scored in double figures in 11 straight games and posted six double-doubles leading up to the City High game.

The 6-foot junior center turned in her best performance of the season against the unbeaten Little Hawks, scoring a season-high 27 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

“It was a confidence boost,” Wiese said. “A game like that is always a confidence boost but to play well against one of the best teams in the state definitely helped me.”

Regina is unbeaten since the loss to City High winning games by an average of nearly 26 points per game and Wiese has been a big reason why.

Wiese has five double-doubles and is averaging 14.6 points and 12.4 rebounds per game during the seven-game winning streak.

“I think that game helped Alex but I think it helped everyone,” Regina coach Jeff Wallace said. “We competed with them. That was a tough hard-nosed game and I think that game really helped us say we can play with anyone in the state.

Wiese was a third-team all-state pick last season when she averaged 15.7 points and 9.4 rebounds per game.

She has been even better this season while helping Regina to an 18-4 record against a bulked up schedule.

Wiese enters the postseason averaging 15 points and 10.6 rebounds per game while shooting 56 percent from the floor.

“I feel like I’ve definitely gotten better,” Wiese said. “I’ve worked on it more, even this summer I’ve worked on my game more than I ever have.”

Wiese has been at her best over the final few weeks of the season.

She had 24 points and 15 rebounds in a win over Wilton and followed it up with a 23-point, 25-rebound effort against West Branch.

Wiese closed the regular season with back-to-back double-doubles.

She had 13 points and 13 rebounds in a win over 5A Cedar Rapids Kennedy and had 13 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Tipton on Tuesday.

“She is just relentless. she is absolutely dominant,” Wallace said. “The way she pursues the basketball and she has great hands and she is really good at anticipating where the ball is going to be coming off.”

Wiese has developed her offensive game this season, becoming more efficient away from the basket but the biggest asset remains her ability to rebound.

She ranks seventh in Class 2A with 10.6 rebounds per game and averages nearly four offensive rebounds per game.

“Her rebounding is her best skill, I think she is an elite rebounder but I think she is a really elite offensive rebounder,” Wallace said. “She just pursues the basketball and she makes everyone else look better.”