Boone (5-16) will come to town to take on WCHS (9-11) in a Class 4A Region 2 quarterfinal at 7 p.m. The winner will advance to Saturday’s regional semifinal against fifth-ranked Ballard (20-1) in Huxley, while the loser will be forced to pack the uniforms away until November.

With eight seniors on the WCHS roster, head coach Nicole Muhlenbruch knows it’s now or never for the majority of her club.

“We’ve talked a lot about no regrets,” Muhlenbruch said. “When we walk off the floor (tonight), we want no regrets about the effort we put in, and we just hope it’s not our last game.”

Kasch knocked down a buzzer-beating basket from the lane to give the Lynx a 47-45 victory over Boone when they met back on Nov. 30. At the time the Toreadors were ranked 15th, but Boone’s season hasn’t gone exactly the way many predicted.

WCHS senior Taylor McKinney (4) puts up a 3-pointer from the corner against Humboldt during a game last week in Humboldt. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

Both squads enter the contest looking to shake out of a late-season slide. WCHS is just 1-5 in its last six outings, while Boone is 2-6 over its last eight.

To advance, WCHS will have to slow down Boone junior guard Emma Dighton, an all-state softball player who dealt with an early-season knee injury. She played only a few first-half minutes in the November clash, but took over in the second half and scored a team-high 18 points.

“I expect Emma Dighton to attack the basket and shoot the 3,” Muhlenbruch said. “We’re looking to try to run some full court stuff to slow down their whole game plan.”

Boone has attempted 434 3-pointers this season, the seventh-most in the class. Dighton averages 15.2 points per game.

Taylor McKinney led WCHS with 21 points against Boone in her team’s season opener, and Muhlenbruch expects her star point guard will receive plenty of defensive attention this evening. The Lynx have struggled against zone schemes throughout the season as well.

McKinney averages 16.9 points per game, and she also leads WCHS in steals and assists. She enters the stretch run of her career with 1,309 points and 182 3-point baskets, both 5-player school records by large margins.

The previous marks were held by Kayleigh Epps (895 points) and Shauna Olson (66 3-point field goals).

McKinney picked up her first postseason accolade on Tuesday when she was named to the 4A Central District all-district team by the Iowa Girls Coaches Association.

A big offensive performance from Grace Hoversten would be welcomed as well, and it would also give her a double-double average. She enters tonight’s tilt at 9.9 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.

Kasch, the Lynx sixth girl, produces 5.3 points per game.