Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

Class 2A, Substate 4 Final

No. 8 Regina (19-2) vs. No. 10 Camanche (20-3)

When: Saturday, 7 p.m.

Where: Muscatine

Top Players: Camanche – Cameron Soenksen, 6-2, Jr., 20.2 points, 5.1 rebounds; Caleb Delzell, 6-7, Jr., 14.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists. Regina – Masen Miller, 6-1, Jr., 20.2 points, 3.3 assists; Ashton Cook, 6-4, Soph., 13.2 points, 4.5 rebounds

About the Regals: Regina returns to a substate final for the first time since 2016 seeking its first state tournament spot since a runner-up finish in 2015.

The Regals secured that 2015 state tournament berth with a 69-38 win over West Burlington in a substate final at Muscatine.

Regina is back at Muscatine on Saturday seeking a similar result.

Winners of 14 straight the Regals enter Saturday’s substate final one of the hottest teams in the state.

Regina hasn’t lost since a 61-58 setback to Cascade on December 18 and is outscoring opponents by better than 16 points per game during its current 14-game winning streak.

Junior point guard Masen Miller has been a big part of the success for Regina this season averaging 20.2 points and while leading 2A with 90 made 3-pointers.

One of the biggest reasons for the Regal’s recent surge has been the emergence of sophomore forward Ashton Cook.

Cook averaged 10.6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game while scoring in double figures twice in the first seven games of the season.

Over the course of Regina’s current 14-game winning streak the 6-foot-4 Cook is averaging 14.6 points and 4.8 rebounds. has scored in double figures in 13 consecutive games and has a double-double in two of his last four outings.

About the Indians: Camanche is no stranger to postseason success in recent years, snapping a better than 30-year state tournament drought with a fourth-place finish in 2017.

This year’s group is battle tested with losses to Class 3A and Class 4A Pleasant Valley and defending champion Cascade.

Camanche won 11 straight games to open the season, a stretch that included a 60-53 win at Regina, a 10-point victory over Cascade and a 24-point win against West Branch.

The Indians lost back-to-back games to Mount Pleasant and Cascade in January and dropped a 51-50 decision to Pleasant Valley earlier this month before returning to the substate finals with a 61-60 overtime victory over West Branch.

Junior guard Cameron Soenksen leads Camanche with 20.2 points per game but 6-foot-7 junior Caleb Delzell is the key for the Indians.

Delzell averages 14.8 points but leads Camanche in rebounding with 9.8 and assists with 4.8.

Senior Carson Seeser averages 9.7 points and is a 40-percent 3-point shooter.

What to Watch: The magic number for both teams on Saturday could be 60.

Regina is 1-2 this season when allowing 60 points, with all three of those games coming in the first month of the season.

During a 5-2 start to the season Regina allowed an average of 51.7 points per game while allowing an opponent to score 60 points three times.

Over its current 14-game winning streak Regina has lowered its points against average to 45.9 and hasn’t given up more than 59 in a game.

Meanwhile Camanche is 53-3 over the past three seasons, including 17-1 this season, when it hits 60 points.

Pace of play will be a focus for both teams.

Regina ranks 13th in 2A allowing 47.8 points per game while Camanche ranks 11th in 2A averaging 66.2 points per game.

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