Friday’s best: Five area girls basketball regional games to watch (2A/1A semifinals, Feb. 20, 2026)

A variety of circumstances whittled away at the quantity of the Tri-Rivers Conference West Division girls basketball roster.

Alburnett departed for the River Valley Conference South Division. Neither Starmont nor Central City fielded a varsity team.

So in the span of a year, an eight teams in the division became five.

Four of them are still playing.

The postseason series reaches the regional-semifinal round Friday in Class 2A and Class 1A. The champion of the division, No. 4 Springville (22-1) is a solid favorite in its 1A encounter with Lone Tree (16-7), while Edgewood-Colesburg (15-8) and North Linn (10-11) both are on the road, against No. 9 Turkey Valley (20-2) and No. 14 Saint Ansgar (18-4), respectively.

Maquoketa Valley (18-4) is ranked 14th in 2A and welcomes MFL MarMac (15-7).

Friday’s winners advance to Wednesday’s regional finals.

Here is a look at Friday’s top area games:

MFL MarMac (15-7) at No. 14 Maquoketa Valley (18-4)

Class 2A Region 5 semifinal

Probably the best area game of the night. The champion of the Upper Iowa Conference Large Division, MFL MarMac advanced with a 59-31 win over Dyersville Beckman, bolting to a 24-point halftime lead. Olivia Driscoll and Blair Winters led the Bulldogs with 14 points apiece, and both are freshmen. Maquoketa Valley actually trailed Lisbon after three quarters before pulling out a 47-40 victory. The Wildcats have shown some vulnerability lately, going 6-4 in their last 10 games after starting 12-0.

Danville (16-5) at No. 8 Iowa City Regina (17-5)

Class 2A Region 8 semifinal

After dispatching one member of the Southeast Iowa Superconference in the previous round (it was 73-22 over Van Buren County), Regina draws another. All five of the Regals’ losses this season have come against 3A/4A/5A opponents. Addie McLaughlin is one of the state’s best sophomores; she averages 22.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 5.0 steals per game. Danville has won 11 consecutive games, including a 45-39 regional-quarterfinal victory over West Burlington.

Lone Tree (16-7) at No. 4 Springville (22-1)

Class 1A Region 4 semifinal

Springville’s only loss of the season was a one-pointer to Westwood on Dec. 20, and the Orioles have won 16 consecutive games since then. University of South Dakota recruit Rowan Jacobi (26.9 points, 13.6 rebounds per game) recently crossed the 2,000-point plateau for her career, only the 25th player in Iowa to get there. She scored 43 points in the first three quarters (on 21-of-26 shooting) in a 95-30 rout of North Cedar in the previous round. Lone Tree got past Wapello 53-45 behind 26 points from senior Finley Jacque.

Edgewood-Colesburg (15-8) at No. 9 Turkey Valley (20-2)

Class 1A Region 6 semifinal

The champion of the Upper Iowa Conference Small Division, Turkey Valley has won 12 consecutive games. The Trojans rank third in Class 1A in scoring defense, allowing 29.7 points per game. Junior post Isabella Stika averages 14.5 points and 11.6 rebounds per game, shooting 53.8 percent from the floor. That defensive unit will be tested by Ed-Co’s Lilee Boriskey, one of the area’s most potent scorers at 26.0 ppg. One of Boriskey’s attributes is her ability to get to the free-throw line, averaging 9.3 foul-shot attempts per game.

North Linn (10-11) at No. 14 Saint Ansgar (18-4)

Class 1A Region 8 semifinal

This is a bridge year for North Linn, which will see a streak of 15 consecutive 20-win seasons come to an end. The quest of an eighth straight state appearance remains in play, though, and the Lynx have an uncommonly strong eighth-grade class coming in next year. For the here-and-now, sophomore Whitney Brady is good for 12.4 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Led by Jacey Johnston and Quinn Osgood (combined 34.7 ppg), the top six Saint Ansgar scorers also started on the volleyball team that won the 1A title in November.

Friday’s Class 2A regional semifinals

(All games 7 p.m.)

Region 4

Aplington-Parkersburg (15-8) at No. 4 Denver (20-2)

Bellevue (15-7) at No. 13 Cascade (17-5)

Region 5

Garner GHV (14-8) at No. 5 Emmetsburg (21-2)

MFL MarMac (15-7) at No. 14 Maquoketa Valley (18-4)

Region 6

Southeast Valley (16-6) at No. 6 Treynor (19-2)

Sigourney (15-8) at Pleasantville (11-11)

Region 8

Jesup (14-8) at No. 7 Grundy Center (20-2)

Danville (16-5) at No. 8 Iowa City Regina (17-5)

Friday’s Class 1A regional semifinals

(All games 7 p.m.)

Region 4

Lone Tree (16-7) at No. 4 Springville (22-1)

Bellevue Marquette (14-7) at No. 15 Lansing Kee (15-7)

Region 5

North Mahaska (17-6) at No. 5 Lynnville-Sully (22-0)

Meskwaki (18-3) at No. 13 North Union (14-8)

Region 6

Keota (18-5) at No. 6 Dunkerton (20-2)

Edgewood-Colesburg (15-8) at No. 9 Turkey Valley (20-2)

Region 8

English Valleys (18-5) at No. 8 Gladbrook-Reinbeck (19-3)

North Linn (10-11) at No. 14 Saint Ansgar (18-4)

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com