Regina girls basketball team loses in quarterfinals of state tournament for second straight season
DES MOINES − For the second straight season, the Iowa City Regina girls basketball team put together a successful campaign that included a River Valley South Conference championship and a trip to Wells Fargo Arena.
And like last season, the year ended with an early exit from the state tournament.
No. 5 Regina (21-5) was bounced in the quarterfinals of the Class 2A tournament for the second year in a row with a 60-39 loss to No. 4 Sibley-Ocheyedan (22-3) on Tuesday night.
"I know we all wanted to come here and do better than last year but making it here on its own is really tough and I'm proud of for that," said Regina sophomore Morgan Miller.
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Madison Brouwer scored a game-high 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Sibley-Ocheyedan, which also got 17 points from Zoe Ackerman. Miller led Regina with 11 points. Grace Gaarde chipped in with 10 points for the Regals, who struggled early and often, offensively
They shot just 30% from the field (15-for-50) and missed their first 10 shots to fall into an 8-0 deficit. Its first basket came 5:49 seconds into the game on a layup by Alli Clark.
The damage wasn't completely done, though. Regina was able to grab some quick momentum at the end of the quarter when Miller connected on a 3-pointer before the buzzer to pull the Regals to within 3 points, at 10-7, of Sibley-Ocheyedan.
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But things quickly fell apart for Regina in the second quarter as the Generals went on an 11-0 run to take a commanding 23-12 lead. The Regals trailed 28-12 by halftime and never could get back into it.
Sibley-Ocheyedan, used its size and strength to outscore Regina 46-20 in the paint. Regina, which has typically been the undersized team when they've played, couldn't overcome it this time around.
"I think the girls never quit," said Regina coach Mary Rogers. "They truly did keep competing. They battled."
The loss ends a successful season for Regina, which had won five-straight games heading into Tuesday. It marks the ninth trip to the state tournament in program history. The Regals will turn their attention to next season where they hope to have another big season and possibly get over the quarterfinals hump.
"I'm excited to bounce back next year," Miller said. "I'm so proud of my team."
Tommy Birch, the Register's sports enterprise and features reporter, has been working at the newspaper since 2008. He's the 2018 and 2020 Iowa Sportswriter of the Year. Reach him at tbirch@dmreg.com or 515-284-8468. Follow him on Twitter @TommyBirch.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Regina girls basketball bounced from quarterfinals of state tournament
