(Carroll) Exira/EHK earned its 22nd consecutive victory Wednesday night, punching its ticket to the Class 1A Iowa Girls State Basketball Tournament with a 57-38 win over GTRA in the regional final at Carroll.
Taryn Petersen paced the Spartans with 20 points, while Jaelyn Petersen added 14. Zoey Rasmussen provided a spark off the bench, knocking down three shots from beyond the arc. Six-foot-one post player Harlow Miller chipped in nine points, and Kadence Sporrer and Riley Miller each contributed two.
Offense was hard to come by early, as both teams struggled to find their rhythm in a first quarter that featured five lead changes.
Exira/EHK clung to an 8-7 lead after the opening quarter, but the Spartans found their stride in the second. They used a 14-0 run to seize control and built a 23-11 advantage by halftime — a lead they would not surrender. Zoey Rasmussen ignited the surge with two three-pointers off the bench, while Taryn and Jaelyn Petersen combined for nine more points in the quarter. A stingy 2-3 zone defense limited the Titans to just two field goals in the period.
GTRA responded with a 7-0 run to open the third quarter, trimming the deficit to eight. Lauryn Hough buried a three-pointer, and Addison Hansen and Caitlyn Hough teamed up for eight points to fuel the rally. Despite the push, the Spartans outscored the Titans 16-14 in the frame. Rasmussen connected on another three, and Harlow Miller controlled the paint with four points to help extend the lead to 39-25 heading into the fourth.
The Spartans’ 16-point cushion was cut to nine late in the final quarter, but Taryn Petersen calmly knocked down five consecutive free throws to put the game away and secure the 57-38 victory.
Exira/EHK improves to 23-1 and enters the State Tournament as the No. 6 seed. The Spartans will face No. 3 seed St. Albert (21-3) in the opening round on Wednesday, March 4, at 6:45 p.m.
Exira/EHK Head Coach Tom Petersen’s post-game comments are posted below.
