Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

The 2023 girls state basketball tournament got underway on Monday with quarterfinals in Class 5A and 3A.

Two more classes get into the mix on Tuesday as Class 4A and Class 2A get underway after the final 3A quarterfinal in the morning.

Before those games get going Your Prep Sports continues its pre-tournament coverage with a quick overview of the Class 2A state tournament.

The Matchups

No. 5 Regina (21-4) vs. No. 4 Sibley-Ocheyedan (21-3)

Regina returns to the state tournament for the second consecutive season seeking its first win at Wells Fargo Arena since 2017.

The Regals are making their seventh appearance at state in the past 11 seasons after rallying from a 13-point deficit for a 55-54 win over No. 12 Mediapolis in the regional title game.

Three of the four losses for Regina this season have come to state qualifiers, including setbacks to 3A state qualifiers Benton Community and Solon.

All four losses for the Regals have come to top-six ranked opponents as the other loss for Regina was to 2A sixth-ranked Cascade.

Regina has relied all season on a backcourt that is as good as any in Class 2A.

The trio of sophomore Morgan Miller, junior Alli Clark and senior Grace Gaarde has combined to average 41.4 points, 13.2 rebounds and 11.5 assists.

Miller leads the Regals in scoring at 17.3 points per game while Clark is averaging 14.8 points per game and Gaarde averages 9.3 points per game.

Senior Dani Laughlin is adding seven points per game while sophomore Ella McLaughlin is averaging 5.5 and junior Morgan Squiers 5.5 points per game.

Regina is averaging 7.3 3-pointers per game which ranks second in Class 2A while shooting 35 percent from beyond the arc which ranks third in 2A.

Sibley-Ocheyedan is making its first trip to the state tournament since 1997 completing an impressive program turnaround over the past several seasons.

The Generals went six seasons without a winning record before winning 16 games in 2020-2021.

Sibley-Ocheyedan went 18-6 last season falling to South Central Calhoun 54-51 in the regional title game.

The breakthrough came this season with a 76-57 win over No. 14 Sioux Central in the regional championship.

Sibley-Ocheyedan has been impressive all season, ranking third in 2A in scoring at 65.2 points per game while winning by an average of 23.2 points per game which is the fifth highest margin of victory in 2A.

Two of the three losses for Sibley-Ocheyedan have come to second-ranked Central Lyon by a combined total of six points.

Returning first-team all-state pick Madison Brouwer leads a group of four players averaging at least nine points per game for the Generals.

Brouwer is averaging 19 points, 11 rebounds, 3.3 steals and 1.9 blocked shots per game.

Senior Marissa Ackerman is averaging 13.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while Bria Wasmund averages 11.2 points and ranks fourth in 2A with 5.9 assists per game.

No. 1 Dike-New Hartford (23-1) vs. No. 15 Aplington-Parkersburg (20-4)

North Iowa Cedar Central rivals Dike-New Hartford and Aplington-Parkersburg meet for the third time this season in a 2A quarterfinal.

Dike-New Hartford has won 10 straight over Aplington-Parkersburg including a 61-28 win in January and a 73-36 victory in the most recent meeting back on February 3.

The two-time defending 2A champion, Dike-New Hartford is making its sixth consecutive state tournament appearance.

The Wolverines have won at least 20 games each of the past six seasons and are 140-11 over that span.

Dike-New Hartfordhas won four in a row since losing its only game of the season to defending 1A state champion and top-ranked Algona Garrigan on February 7.

The Wolverines defeated Bellevue 67-28 in the Region 1 title game to return to state.

Four players average in double figures for Dike-New Hartford led by junior returning all-state Payton Petersen who averages 16 points and 10.1 rebounds per game.

Junior Jadyn Petersen is averaging 13 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 3.6 steals per game.

Senior Ellary Knock averages 12.1 points and 5 rebounds and junior Maryn Bixby is averaging 12 points, 3.5 steals and 3.4 assists per game.

Aplington-Parkersburg returned to the state tournament for the first time since 2019 with a 50-38 win over Dyersville Beckman in the regional final.

The Falcons are led by senior Ellen Waller who is averaging 15 points, 2.4 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 2 assists per game.

Junior Kendall Riherd is averaging 12.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.8 steals and 2.3 assists per game.

No. 2 Central Lyon (22-0) vs. No. 9 Panorama (22-2)

Perhaps the most exciting of the 2A quarterfinals matches a pair of state semifinalists from a year ago in an intriguing contrast in styles.

Defending 2A runner-up Central Lyon ranks fifth in 2A in scoring at 63.5 points per game while Panorama is among the top defensive teams in 2A holding opponents to 33.6 points per game which ranks third in 2A.

One of two unbeaten teams in the 2A field, Central Lyon has been dominant while returning to the state tournament.

The Lions have outscored opponents by 24.5 points per game this season which is the third highest in 2A and rolled to a 61-33 win over No. 10 Hinton in the regional final.

Central Lyon had two wins each over state qualifiers Sioux Center and Sibley-Ocheyedan on its way to an unbeaten regular season.

Senior Addison Klosterbuer is among the best in 2A and leads a list of four players averaging better than seven points per game with a team-high 19.5.

6-foot junior Desta Hoogendoorn has been excellent this season averaging 15 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game.

Panorama returns to the state tournament for the second consecutive season after falling to eventual 2A state champ Dike-New Hartford in the semifinals last season.

The Panthers have won four in a row and 15 of their last 16 after a 39-38 regional final win over seventh-ranked Treynor.

The lone loss for Panorama since the calendar flipped to 2023 came to 3A state qualifier Des Moines Christian on February 3.

Junior Tyme Boettcher leads Panorama with 14.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game while junior Jaidyn Sellers is averaging 13.4 points, 9.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocked shots per game.

Junior Mia Waddle is averaging 9 points and a team-high 3.9 assists and 3.3 steals per game.

No. 3 Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (24-0) vs. No. 8 Pocahontas Area (20-4)

It has already been a historic season for Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont which advanced to the state tournament for the first time in program history with a 71-65 win over Hudson in the regional title game.

The Rockets have been exciting and impressive all season ranking second in 2A with 66.3 points per game while outscoring opponents by an average of 23.8 points which is fourth highest in 2A.

Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont  has relied heavily on the production of the trio of senior Whitney Klyn and sophomores Molly Shafer and Ava Eastlick.

That trio has combined to score 50.1 points per game which accounts for 76 percent of the scoring production for the Rockets.

Klyn leads the team with 18.3 points per game while Shafer is averaging 16.2 and Eastlick averages 15.6 per game.

Pocahontas Area returns to the state tournament for the first time since a dominant three-year run that ended with a second consecutive 3A title in 2017.

The Indians reached the 3A title game in three consecutive seasons from 2015 to 2017 winning back-to-back crowns the final two years.

This season Pocahontas Area returned to state with a 50-45 win over No. 11 Underwood in the regional title game.

Pocahontas Area has won 13 of its last 14 games with the lone loss in that stretch coming to 3A state qualifier and top-ranked Estherville-Lincoln Central.

The loss to Estherville-Lincoln Central is one of three losses to state qualifiers for the Indians who also have to losses to 1A qualifier Newell-Fonda.

Senior Carly Janssen leads Pocahontas Area with 12.6 points per game while senior Akaysa Duitscher averages 11.2 points, 4.9 assists and 4 rebounds per game.

Senior Abby Oberhelman is averaging 8.5 points and a team-high 7.3 rebounds per game.

The Players

Regina: Morgan Miller, 5-6, Soph. – Miller emerged as one of the best young players in Class 2A this season leading the Regals in scoring (17.3), rebounding (4.8) and steals (3.1) and ranking second on the team with 4 assists per game.

Dike-New Hartford: Payton Petersen, 6-0, Jr. – A returning first-team all-state pick, Petersen averages a double-double with 16 points and 10.1 rebounds per game to go with 2.5 assists and 2.5 steals per contest

Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont: Whitney Klyn, 5-10, Sr. – The versatile Klyn leads the Rockets in scoring (18.3), assists (4.6) and blocked shots (2.4) and is second on the team in rebounds (7.6) and fourth in steals (2.1).

Aplington-Parkersburg: Kendall Riherd, Jr. 5-10 – Riherd ranks second on the team in scoring at 12.6 points per game and led the Falcons in rebounds (5.5), steals (2.8) and blocked shots (1.6).

Pocahontas Area: Akaysa Duitscher, 5-8, Sr. – The second leading scorer for the Indians with 11.3 points per game Duitscher leads the team with 5 assists per game to go with 3.8 rebounds and 3.3 steals.

Panorama: Jaidyn Sellers, 5-10, Jr. – Sellers ranked second on the team in scoring with 13.4 points per game and leads the Panthers in rebounding (9.6) and blocked shots (2.3) and ranks third on the team with 3.2 steals per game.

Sibley-Ocheydan: Madison Brouwer, 6-0, Sr. – A returning first-team all-state pick, Brouwer is one of only nine players in the state to average at least 19 points and 11 rebounds and also averages 3.3 steals, 2.5 assists and 1.9 blocks per game.

Central Lyon: Addison Klosterbuer, 5-11, Sr. – A South Dakota recruit, Klosterbuer is a returning first-team all-state pick that is averaging 19.5 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

The Storylines

The Favorite

Two-time defending state champion Dike-New Hartford enters as the clear-cut favorite.

The Wolverines are attempting to become the first three-time repeat champion outside of Class 1A since Western Christian won three consecutive 2A crowns in 2012, 2013 and 2014.

Dike-New Hartford has size, experience, offensive balance and athleticism making it an overwhelming favorite in 2A.

The Wolverines have outscore state tournament opponents by an average of 15.7 points per game while claiming the previous two 2A titles.

The Underdog

If Dike-New Hartford is the favorite, which it is, that makes eighth-seed Aplington-Parkersburg the underdog.

The Falcons are sizeable dogs to top-ranked Dike-New Hartford in the quarterfinals after losing two regular season games to the Wolverines by 33 and 37 points.

As conference rivals there is an element of familiarity here which could help Aplington-Parkersburg in the event Dike-New Hartford looks past its state tournament opener.

The Darkhorse

Regina checks plenty of boxes in what you are looking for in an under the radar contender at the state tournament.

The Regals have state tournament experience with three starters back from last year’s quarterfinal team.

Regina has veteran guards in Grace Gaarde and Alli Clark, a bona fide bucket getter in sophomore Morgan Miller and an excellent coach in Mary Rogers.

The Regals have also been battle tested with three losses to state qualifiers, all to top-four seeded teams.

All that is left for the Regals is to show it can win games on the state’s biggest stage.

The Focus

Is it Dike-New Hartford against the field?

The Wolverines have ruled 2A the past three seasons winning the last two 2A titles while outscoring opponents by more than 15 points per game in six consecutive state tournament wins.

Dike-New Hartford owns a 74-3 record over the past three seasons and is unbeaten against 2A competition during that span.

Can anyone stop the Wolverine run this season?

Second-ranked Central Lyon is the top contender after playing Dike-New Hartford to a first-half tie before falling 59-52 in last year’s 2A title game.

The Numbers

Scoring Leaders

1. Addison Klosterbuer, Sr., Central Lyon – 19.5
2. Madison Brouwer, Sr., Sibley-Ocheyedan – 19
3. Whitney Klyn, Sr., Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont – 18.3
4. Morgan Miller, Soph., Regina – 17.3
5. Molly Shafer, Soph., Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont – 16.2

Rebounding Leaders

1. Madison Brouwer, Sr., Sibley-Ocheyedan – 11
2. Payton Petersen, Jr., Dike-New Hartford – 10.1
3. Jaidyn Sellers, Jr., Panorama – 9.6
4. Jadyn Petersen, Jr., Dike-New Hartford – 9.3
5. Kate Shafer, Soph., Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont – 9

Assist Leaders

1. Afton Schlumbohm, Sr., Central Lyon – 6.1
2. Bria Wasmund, Sr., Sibley-Ocheyedan – 5.9
3. Akaysa Duitscher, Sr., Pocahontas Area – 5
4. Whitney Klyn, Sr., Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont – 4.6
5. Grace Gaarde, Sr., Regina – 4.4

Five Fast Facts

*– Class 2A is the only class with more than one undefeated team in the state tournament field with both Central Lyon (22-0) and Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (24-0) entering unbeaten.

*– Top-ranked Dike-New Hartford led the state in point differential winning games by an average of 38.4 points per game.

*– West Lyon senior Addison Klosterbuer leads the state with 3.9 3-pointers per game, has made 85 3-pointers on the season and is shooting 44 percent from 3-point range.

*– Four teams from last year’s 2A state tournament field return to the state meet this season including three of the four semifinalists (Dike-New Hartford, Central Lyon and Panorama).

*– Regina guards Morgan Miller, Alli Clark and Grace Gaarde combine to average 41.4 points per game which accounts for 66 percent of Regina’s scoring.

The History

Last 5 Champions

2022 – Dike-New Hartford

2021 – Dike-New Hartford

2020 – North Linn

2019 – Treynor

2018 – Cascade

Last Year’s Qualifiers

Dike-New Hartford; South Central Calhoun; Panorama; Regina; Denver; Underwood; Central Lyon; Cascade

The Schedule

Tuesday’s Quarterfinals

Dike-New Hartford (23-1) vs. Aplington-Parkersburg (20-4), 6:45 p.m.

Sibley-Ocheyedan (21-3) vs. Regina (21-4), 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday’s Quarterfinals

Central Lyon (22-0) vs. Panorama (22-2), 10 a.m.

Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (24-0) vs. Pocahontas Area (20-4), 11:45 a.m.

Friday’s Semifinals

Dike-New Hartford/Aplington-Parkersburg winner vs. Sibley-Ocheyedan/Regina winner, 10 a.m.

Central Lyon/Panorama winner vs. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont/Pocahontas Area winner, 11:45 a.m.

Saturday’s Championship

Semifinal winners, 4:45 p.m.

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