Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

IOWA CITY – Following a slightly sluggish offensive start in its postseason opener on Tuesday Class 2A sixth-ranked Regina kicked it into high gear after halftime.

The key for the Regals in getting it’s offense clicking on all cylinders?

It’s defense.

Regina used a lockdown defense effort that forced 23 turnovers to create fastbreak opportunities on offense and sprinted past Durant 68-29 in a Region 4 quarterfinal in Iowa City.

“We know if we can get our defense good that our offense will come,” Regina junior Ella McLaughlin said. “The focus for us is always on defense and that leads to our offense.”

McLaughlin hit three second-half 3-pointers and scored 13 of her game-high 23 points in the third quarter as Regina shot 77 percent from the floor in the second half.

Morgan Miller added 22 points as Regina (18-4) advanced to the Region 4 semifinal where it will host Maquoketa Valley (14-8) on Friday at 7 p.m.

Durant closed the season 10-13.

“I think defense and our urgency with our defense it kind of sparkplugged our offense,” Regina coach Mary Rogers said. “Ella hitting shots, big time 3s when we needed it was kind of a spark but our primary break and pushing the ball is really what ramped it up for us.”

It was defense that helped Regina take an early lead on Tuesday.

Playing for the first time in six days Regina made just 6-of-18 field goal attempts in the opening quarter but led 12-4 thanks to a defensive effort that forced Durant into eight first-quarter turnovers.

Regina shot 37 percent (14-of-38) in the first half and led 33-14 at intermission after closing the second quarter on an 8-0 run.

The Regal offense got rolling quickly in the third quarter.

Regina hit its first five shots of the second half and made 11-of-15 field goal attempts in the third quarter while pushing the lead to 58-22.

“Our team has really good chemistry and we are really good at finding shots for each other and not being selfish,” Miller said. “We did a good job of moving the ball and getting open shots for each other.”

McLaughlin and Miller combined for 19 of the 25 third-quarter points for Regina on combined 8-of-11 shooting.

“It definitely feels really good but it’s because of my teammates,” McLaughlin said. “They are getting me the shots and they were driving and kick it out. That’s how we play, if one person is on everyone will support them and the next game someone else could be on.”

McLaughlin had 23 points on 9-of-18 shooting while Miller added 22 points hitting 10-of-14 field goal attempts.

Senior Alli Clark added 10 points for Regina and Caitlin Martin had six points and 10 rebounds.

Regina made 16-of-21 second-half field goal attempts including 3-of-6 from 3-point range with all three 3-pointers coming from McLaughlin.

She hit big shots when we needed it in both halves,” Rogers said of McLaughlin said. “She kind of got us going and got us fired up.”

Isabella DeLong led Durant with 17 points and seven rebounds.

Durant                        4   10   8    7  –  29

Regina                        12  21  25  10 –  68                                                                                             

Durant (29) – Paige Happ 1-2 0-0 2, Mariah Alpen 0-2 1-4 1, Savannah Meinert 1-5 0-0 3, Kierra Hahn 0-1 0-0 0, Avery Paper 0-2 0-0 0, Isabelle DeLong 6-16 4-4 17, Adison Daufeldt 1-3 0-0 2, Isla Petersen 0-1 0-0 0, Emma Meincke 0-1 0-0 0, Kaetlyn Hansel 0-2 0-0 0, Allison Toft 2-6 0-2 4, Totals 11-41 5-10 29.

Regina (68) – Alli Clark 5-9 0-0 10, Morgan Miller 10-14 2-3 22, Lucy Nolte 1-2 0-0 2, Ella McLaughlin 9-18 0-0 23, Morgan Squiers 2-5 1-2 5, Caitlin Martin 3-10 0-2 6, Maddie Squiers 0-1 0-0 0, Totals 30-59 3-7 68.

3-point field goals – DUR 2-8 (Meinert 1-3, Paper 0-1, DeLong 1-4), ICR 5-16 (McLaughlin 5-10, Clark 0-2, Miller 0-1, Mo. Squiers 0-3). Rebounds – DUR 26 (DeLong 7), ICR 37 (Martin 10). Turnovers – DUR 23, ICR 11. Total fouls – DUR 6, ICR 11. Fouled out – None. Technical fouls – None.

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