(Des Moines) Quinn Grubbs scored 25 points to lead the Exira-EHK girls into the 2nd round at the State Basketball Tournament. The Spartans move on with a 60-55 win on Tuesday over MMCRU in a Class 1A Quarterfinal.
Grubbs made 5/7 free-throws to help Exira-EHK stay undefeated. Shay Burmeister stepped up with a pair of big 3-pointers in the 2nd quarter and scored 14 points. Burmeister went 6/7 from the field and helped the team push the lead to nine points at halftime with her outside touch. Mollie Rasmussen added 11 points and Macy Emgarten contributed 10. Alisa Partridge posted team highs in rebounds with 8 and steals with 3 along with taking a critical charge in the 2nd half.
The first half saw seven lead changes. #5 MMCRU scored the first six points, but Exira-EHK called timeout and ran off seven straight of their own. After that, neither team led by more than three points into the final minutes of the half. Exira-EHK had a strong start to the 3rd quarter and built a double digit lead. However, the Royals found a rhythm as the 2nd half progressed and put together a 14-2 stretch. Taylor Harpenau, Emily Dreckman, and Jaylen Bork made 3-pointers in the 3rd for MMCRU and they turned a ten point deficit into a five point lead. Macy Emgarten canned a triple for Exira-EHK in the final ten seconds of the 3rd to slow the momentum and Spartans were within 45-43 going to the 4th.
The 4th quarter was neck and neck at the start until Exira-EHK broke a 49-all tie on a Grubbs 3-pointer with under 4:00 to play. They never trailed the rest of the way. Grubbs took every free-throw attempt for the Spartans down the stretch and MMCRU struggled from the field in the last few minutes. The Royals were 4/18 from the field in the 4th and finished the game shooting just 5/19 from 3-point range. Dreckman led the team with 20 points and Ellie Hilbrands scored 17. Meanwhile Exira-EHK hit 22/42 from the field in the contest and went 8/17 beyond the arc.
Up next for # Exira-EHK is top rated Bishop Garrigan on Friday afternoon. We’ll have the game on KSOM.
