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The normally fast-paced and high-octane Regina offense was uncharacteristically slowed in the first-half of Tuesday’s meeting of River Valley Conference South Division unbeatens with Mid-Prairie.

Class 2A third-ranked Regina switched gears after halftime to remain unbeaten in RVC play.

Regina locked down defensively in the second half and erased a four-point halftime deficit on its way to a 59-49 win over Mid-Prairie in Wellman.

The Regals held Mid-Prairie to just a pair of field goals in the final quarter while improving to 11-1 on the season and taking over the top spot alone in the RVC South Division standings at 6-0.

“We focused a lot more on our defense because when shots aren’t falling we have to play a lot better defense and make their shots a lot harder for them,” Regina senior Caitlin Martin said. “Once our shots started falling we started to feel it a lot more.”

Regina shot just 33 percent from the floor and Tuesday including a 1-of-26 effort from 3-point range but forced 21 Golden Hawk turnovers and held a 34-29 rebounding edge that included 17 offensive rebounds.

After allowing a combined 17 points to Mid-Prairie forwards Callie Huber and Brylee Gearhart in the first half Regina held the duo to seven points after halftime while outscoring the Golden Hawks 35-21.

“We were just trying to pressure them a little bit more, we were causing a little chaos switching up our defenses here and there and we stepped up,” Regina coach Mary Rogers said. “We didn’t shoot the ball well again tonight but we tried to capitalize on being chaotic and forcing turnovers or even deep in the shot clock possessions.”

Mid-Prairie (8-3, 4-1 RVC South) used a 7-0 run to take an 11-8 lead in the first quarter which it held until the final moments of the third quarter.

Martin gave Regina its first lead since the opening minutes with a jumper late in the third quarter and freshman Addie McLaughlin gave the Regals the lead for good at 39-38.

Martin had a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds to lead four Regals in double figures.

“I thought Caitlin Martin really stepped up in that high post area, just hitting good high post short corner looks,” Rogers said. “I think it was offensive rebounding, we had 21 offensive boards and that takes a team. I tell the girls all the time our five against their five I’ll always take ours and they were being competitive and getting after the ball and doing anything they can for their teammates.”

After taking its final lead at 38-37 Mid-Prairie managed just three more field goals, the final two coming on 3-pointers by Izzy Kite as Regina shut down the Golden Hawk’s interior scoring that helped them build a 28-24 halftime lead.

“We are undersized in general so we had to really pressure their guards to make it hard to get the ball into the post,” Martin said. “That’s what we focused on is pressuring the ball a lot more.”

Morgan Miller had 11 of her 13 points in the second half and added three assists and two steals for Regina.

Ella McLaughlin had 12 points and six rebounds and Addie McLaughlin had 10 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and five steals.

Adalee Klein had six points, five rebounds and two assists.

“Transition offense is something that we pride ourselves on so we did try to get it and go if we did get a turnover and that helped us get into a rhythm and we got to set up our press again,” Rogers said. “We found a little time where we were able to increase our lead and then carry that momentum through.”

Regina                        12  12  20  15  –  59

Mid-Prairie              14  14  13   8   –  49

Regina (59) – Caitlin Martin 16, Morgan Miller 13, Ella McLaughlin 12, Addie McLaughlin 10, Adalee Klein 6, Ella Keune 2

Mid-Prairie (49) – Callie Huber 14, Brylee Gearhart 10, Izzy Kite 6, Brooklyn Schneider 6, Jeorgia Evans 5, Myli Hershberger 4, Katelyn Harland 4

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