Ryan Murken

Your Prep Sports

DES MOINES – Mary Rogers heard to two words and couldn’t help but smile.

The Regina coach had emphasized the same phrase hundreds of times this season.

“Defense wins,” Rogers said. “I heard their coach yell it and I thought, ‘weird that’s what I say’.”

Both Regina and Rock Valley heeded their coach’s defensive instructions in Wednesday’s Class 2A quarterfinal.

It was second-ranked Rock Valley that mustered just enough offense to advance.

Senior Haevyn Ranschau scored eight of her team-high 15 points in the fourth quarter as second-ranked Rock Valley (23-2) pulled away for a 43-31 win over seventh-ranked Regina at Casey’s Center in Des Moines.

“Defensively they just did exactly what I asked them to do again we just couldn’t put the ball in the cup,” Rogers said. “We just didn’t get the offensive production but full credit to them I thought their game plan was solid and I thought ours was too.”

Regina (19-6) did exactly what it needed to do to put a serious scare into the seventh-ranked Rockets.

The Regals limited a Rock Valley team that ranked second in 2A in scoring at 67.8 points per game to its second lowest point total of the season.

Regina held Rock Valley to 28 percent shooting, including just 5-of-29 from 3-point range.

The Rockets led 2A averaging better than 11 made 3-pointers per game on the season.

“We knew we had to come out aggressive and we knew defense was going to win us this game,” Regina sophomore Addie McLaughlin said. “Obviously it didn’t happen for us today but I think we battled throughout the whole game shots just weren’t falling late in the game but I am just grateful for our team.”

Rock Valley used a 7-0 run to take a 23-14 lead late in the first half but Regina closed the half with four consecutive points to cut the lead to 23-18.

McLaughlin had 12 of her game-high 16 points in the first half.

Rock Valley used some timely shooting and its own stingy defensive effort to hold on in the second half.

“They tried to double me off of screens and they are really great defenders so it was tough getting past them,” McLaughlin said. “Shot out to them they are a great team.”

Ranschau was a big part of both the defensive effort and the clutch shooting.

The senior guard spent most of the game chasing McLaughlin on the defensive end of the court holding the sophomore standout to four points in the second half.

“She is a great player obviously so I knew I wouldn’t shut her out but I just had to contain her enough where we could pull off the win and I thought it turned out pretty well,” Ranschau said. “I knew she is a great shooter so I had to stay up and stay mentally in it even if she got a bucket here and there.”

Rock Valley led just 29-27 entering the fourth quarter but Ranschau hit a pair of fourth-quarter 3-pointers including one with 2:15 remaining that pushed the lead to 37-29.

“In the first half I didn’t shoot very well,” Ranschau said. “My shots were not going in but I knew I had to keep shooting and stay positive because eventually they would fall and they did in the fourth quarter when it mattered most.”

Regina shot just 25 percent from the field and was 2-of-16 from 3-point range.

Maggie Sueppel had four points and nine rebounds for Regina while Jada Wiltz had two points, eight rebounds and three assists.

“We accomplished a lot,” Sueppel said. “A lot of people didn’t think we’d get as far as we did or have as much success as we did so I am really proud of everyone, unfortunately it didn’t end the way we wanted it to but I’m still super proud of everyone on our team.”

The win was the first state title victory for Rock Valley since it won the 2003 title and sends the Rockets into the 2A semifinal on Friday at 11:45 p.m.

Rock Valley will play the winner of the final 2A quarterfinal between Central Lyon and Treynor in the Class 2A semifinals.

Regina                        10   8   9   4   –  31

Rock Valley               10  13  6  14  –  43

Regina (31) – Jada Wiltz 1-8 0-0 2, Ella Keune 1-4 0-0 3, Maggie Sueppel 1-6 2-2 4, Addie McLaughlin 7-23 1-1 16, Adalee Klein 1-5 0-2 2, Nora Wade 1-3 0-1 2, Keegan Kleppe 1-2 0-0 2, Jordee Klein 0-1 0-0 0, Totals 13-52 3-7 31.

Rock Valley (43) – Ciana Zomer 0-0 0-0 0, Caydence Harmsen 4-10 3-4 12, Haevyn Ranschau 5-20 2-3 15, Alexa Zomer 0-0 0-0 0, Natalie Leusink 2-6 1-2 5, Hudsyn Ranschau 2-11 5-7 10, Eva Remmerde 0-0 1-2 1, Totals 13-47 12-18 43.

3-point field goal – RV 5-29 (Harmsen 1-5, Ha. Ranschau 3-15, Hu. Ranschau 1-9), ICR 2-16 (Wiltz 0-4, Keune 1-2, McLaughlin 1-7, Wade 0-1, Kleppe 0-1, Klein 0-1). Rebounds –RV 42 (Leusink 14), ICR 36 (Sueppel 9). Assists – RV 6 (Hu. Ranschau 3), ICR 5 (Wiltz 3). Turnovers – RV 7, ICR 6. Total fouls – RV 6, ICR 15. Fouled out – None. Technical fouls – None.

Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by donating