Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

MOUNT VERNON – The final shot of the game for Regina on Monday night against Mount Vernon seemed to sum up the entire night for the Regals.

On the final possession of the game freshman Morgan Miller got a look at a deep 3-pointer that was close, right on line but just short.

That was the game summary for Regina – just short.

Regina (2-1) fell into a 16-0 hole before the game was five minutes old and trailed by eight in the fourth quarter but battled back before coming up short in a 53-50 loss to Mount Vernon in a non-conference matchup in Mount Vernon.

“It shows the mentality our team has I’d just like to see it from the get go instead of how we started,” Regina coach Mary Rogers said. “Our girls gave maximum effort, we tried our best to get back into it and we fought but man were they on fire in the first half.”

Mount Vernon (1-4) made all five of its 3-point attempts in a 21-point first quarter and never gave up the lead.

The Mustangs had four of their 10 triples in a 16-0 run to open the game that put Regina in an early deficit it could never fully overcome.

Senior McKenzie Rentschler hit two of her six 3-pointers during the early Mount Vernon run and had a key triple in the fourth quarter as the Mustangs snapped a four-game losing skid to open the season.

Regina got within three at 47-44 and to 52-50 with 39 seconds left but could get no closer.

“They were on fire in the first half and I told our girls there was no way they could do that again but they still hit shots when they needed to,” Rogers said. “I am very proud of our girls but we have to start better.”

Regina cut the lead to 24-19 with a 9-3 spurt to open the second quarter but Mount Vernon closed the first half on a 10-2 run to lead 34-21 at the half.

The Mustangs were 8-of-12 from 3-point range in the opening half.

Regina used some full-court pressure defense to speed the game up after its slow start but shot just 40 percent from the field and didn’t attempt a free throw in the loss.

Of the Regals’ 52 field goal attempts 24 were 3-pointers as Mount Vernon spent much of the game in a 2-3 zone.

“It came down to our half-court execution,” Rogers said. “We have to find a way to get the ball inside. I told our girls it can’t be a 3-point competition every single night. We have to find a way to utilize our five and our fours. We aren’t big everyone can see that but we need to find a way to get the ball inside.”

Despite the early deficit Regina had an opportunity late.

Lily Simpson started a 6-0 Regina spurt with a basket in the paint with 4:38 left as Regina held Mount Vernon without a field goal for the final 5:37.

A Hope Simpson put back and a Grace Gaarde floater with 39 seconds left cut the lead to 52-50.

After Rentschler made one of two free throws the Regals had a chance to tie but Miller’s deep 3-pointer from the wing was short as time expired.

Gaarde led four Regals in double figures with 12 points as Miller had 11.

Hope Simpson had a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds and Lily Simpson had 10 points and nine boards.

“We have a solid foundation,” Rogers said. “We have the pieces, we have the inside-out looks it’s just getting stops consecutively and not letting those lulls happen.”

Regina                        10  11  18  11  –  50

Mount Vernon          21  13  13   6   –  53

Regina (50) – Alli Dillon 0-4 0-0 0, Grace Gaarde 5-13 0-0 12, Morgan Miller 4-13 0-0 11, Alli Clark 3-7 0-0 7, Hope Simpson 4-9 0-0 10, Lily Simpson 5-6 0-0 10, Totals 21-52 0-0 50.

Mount Vernon (53) – McKenzie Rentschler 6-14 1-2 19, Kameron Brand 0-1 0-0 0, Ashlyn Steen 1-1 0-0 2, Lilly See 2-5 0-0 4, Eryn Jackson 2-4 0-0 6, Brynley Rasmussen 2-4 0-0 4, Peyton Simpson 2-7 2-2 8, Liz Dougherty 4-7 2-5 10, Totals 19-43 5-9 53.

3-point field goals – ICR 8-24 (Gaarde 2-8, Miller 3-9, Clark 1-2, H. Simpson 2-4), MV 10-23 (Rentschler 6-14, Jackson 2-4, Simpson 2-5). Rebounds – ICR 32 (H. Simpson 11), MV 25 (See 6). Turnovers – ICR 13, MV 12. Total fouls – ICR 10, MV 6. Fouled out – None. Technical fouls – None.

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