Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

In a span of a few hours on Wednesday Regina and Hinton each stopped streaks without a state tournament win.

Second-ranked Regina returned to the state semifinals for the first time since 2017 with a 53-47 win over Maquoketa Valley.

Third-ranked Hinton followed with a 53-47 win over Rock Valley to return to the semifinals for the first time since 2009.

On Friday morning Hinton (24-0) and Regina (24-1) meet for an opportunity to do something neither team has even done.

Regina and Hinton will square off in a Class 2A semifinal on Friday at 11:45 a.m. at Wells Fargo Arena with the winner getting a shot for the first state title in program history.

“It’s a given, everyone goes down here with the mindset that they are going to win every game,” Regina coach Mary Rogers said. “They are 24-0. They expect to win. We expect to win every game. That’s the reality of this time of year.”

Regina has reached the semifinals three times, most recently making back-to-back semifinal appearance in 2016 and 2017.

The Regals have been played in a state title game.

Hinton has also appeared in three semifinal games, finishing runner-up in 2004 but dropping semifinals contests in 2004 and 2009.

One of the two teams will earn a shot at history on Friday.

“We are just going to go out and play our game,” Rogers said. “We will be as ready as we can be and I think the big thing is rest. We are driving these miles and we have to make sure we have fresh legs to play our best and to play the game that we want to play.”

Both teams needed strong finishes to escape in their state tournament openers on Wednesday.

Regina snaped a 42-all tie with an 8-0 fourth-quarter run on its way to its win over Maquoketa Valley.

The Regals were out-rebounded 37-31 in the win over Maquoketa Valley but had eight steals and forced 13 turnovers while outscoring the Wildcats 13-6 in fast break points.

Hinton erased a 12-point halftime deficit in its win over Rock Valley, outscoring the Rockets 20-10 in the fourth quarter.

Hinton finished with a 36-32 rebounding edge over Rock Valley and had nine second-chance points.

Hinton 6-foot-1 freshman center Raelyn Kempema had 14 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in the quarterfinal win while 5-foot-11 junior forward Karlyn Kovarna had 11 points and eight rebounds.

Regina will need to neutralize the Hinton height advantage as best it can on Friday.

“What we see when go up against height is can we capitalize with our athletic ability and maybe get out and run,” Rogers said. “We try to find ways to counter it. You hope you get more possessions that go your way than go theirs.”

Reigna got big games from its talented backcourt trio in its Wednesday win.

Senior Morgan Miller had 17 points, eight rebounds, four steals and three assists and senior Ella McLaughlin had 14 points.

Freshman Addie McLaughlin had 11 points, seven assists, four rebounds and three steals.

“We are a pretty physical team, I think even our guards they play physical,” Rogers said. “We try to outwork and sometimes try to out jump people but we aren’t afraid to get after people.”

Class 2A Semifinal  

No. 2 Regina (24-1) vs. No. 3 Hinton (24-0)

When: Friday, 11:45 a.m.

Where: Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines

Statistical leaders: Regina – Morgan Miller, 5-6, Sr., 20.2 points, 5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 4.5 steals; Addie McLaughlin, 5-5, Fr., 17 points, 5.8 assists, 4.1 steals, 4.1 rebounds. Hinton – Sydney Doeschot, 5-7, Jr.. 19.9 points, 5.7 assists, 4.2 steals, 2.9 rebounds; Addison Glass, 5-10, Soph., 11.6 points, 3.4 assists, 2.1 steals.

About the Regals: Regina returns to the state semifinals for the fourth time in program history and first since 2017.

The Regals are 0-3 all-time in semifinal games and lost to the eventual state champion in each of its previous two semifinal appearances.

Regina lost to Unity Christian in the 2016 semifinals and fell to Western Christian in the 2017 2A semis.

The Regals bring a 15-game winning streak into Friday’s semifinal with their only loss this season coming to 3A finalist Mount Vernon.

Senior Morgan Miller leads three Regina players averaging double figures with 20.2 points per game while freshman Addie McLaughlin averages 17 points and senior sister Ella McLaughlin averages 10.6 points per game.

About the Blackhawks: One of three unbeaten teams in the state tournament this season Hinton used a second-half comeback to stay perfect on Wednesday, rallying from a 12-point halftime hole in a quarterfinal win over Rock Valley.

The Blackhawks are 1-2 all-time in state semifinal games with their only semifinal win comingin 2002.

Hinton has six players averaging at least six points per game led by junior guard Sydney Doeschot with 19.9 points per game.

Sophomore Addison Glass averages 11.6 points per game and 6-foot-1 freshman Raelyn Kempema averages 8.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

Who to watch: Regina – Regina got big games from standout guards Morgan Miller and Addie McLaughlin in the quarterfinal win over Maquoketa Valley as the tandem combined for 28 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists.

That production overshadowed what was an impressive performance from senior Caitlin Martin.

The 5-foot-8 Martin had six points and a team-high nine rebounds and provided some important post defense in the second half. Martin doesn’t have to put up huge numbers offensively but will likely need to come up big again for Regina to advance.

Hinton – Junior guard Sydney Doeschot has been among the best players in Class 2A this season and she came up huge in the second half on Wednesday.

The 5-foot-7 Doeschot had 12 of her team-high 18 points in the second half as Hinton rallied from a 12-point halftime hole.

Doeschot had three rebounds and three assists in the final two quarters and perhaps more impressively didn’t have a turnover in the quarterfinal win. In a game that features some of the best guards in the state Doeschot will look to raise her game again on Friday.

What to watch: In a battle of the top two scoring teams in Class 2A it could be the team that locks in on the defensive end that comes out on top.

For Regina the defensive focus is on forcing turnovers and ending possessions with defensive rebounds.

When the Regals are at their best they are disruptive on defense and turn live-ball turnovers into easy transition points.

Look for Regina to get out and pressure the Hinton guards early as a way to help their post defenders in the paint.

Regina also needs to keep the Blackhawks, namely Kempema and Karlyn Kovarna off the offensive glass.

The Regals were outrebounded 21-11 in the first half of its quarterfinal win over Maquoketa Valley allowing eight offensive rebounds and 15 second chance points in a half that ended tied at 28.

Regina held a 20-16 rebounding edge in the second half, allowed just six offensive rebounds and four second chance points while outscoring Maquoketa Valley 25-19 after halftime.

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