The Exira-EHK Spartans girls basketball team and their supporters won’t soon forget the 2020-21 season. The Spartans squad of eight, or the “Elite Eight” as Head Coach Tom Petersen has dubbed them, fought all the way to the State Semifinals. The Spartans ride came to an end on Friday afternoon with a 57-35 loss to top-seeded Bishop Garrigan.

It was a tight game early as both teams felt each other out and were square at 9 after one. The Golden Bears opened the second quarter on a 6-0 run and built on the lead the rest of the way. It was a 22-7 advantage in the second for the Bears and they carried the momentum over into the third. Bishop Garrigan hit two quick shots to open up the second half and outscored Sparty 15-6 through the third.

Tipoff for the 1A Semifinal between Exira-EHK and Bishop Garrigan 3/5/2021

The Golden Bears’ outstanding 6’3″ sophomore Audi Crooks made a huge impact defensively. She blocked 7 shots and affected many more to make it tough for the Spartans to get a clean look. Crooks nearly finished with a triple double as she dropped in 17 points and hauled in 18 rebounds. The Golden Bears improved to 25-1 and will head to the 1A Championship on Saturday night at 6:30 p.m. They will face the winner of the Newell-Fonda vs. Montezuma Semifinal.

The Spartans were led in scoring by 9 from Mollie Rasmussen and 8 from Quinn Grubbs. The Spartans end their phenomenal season at 24-1. The Spartans were able to get a cool moment late in the game as Senior Tatum Grubbs got on the floor. She suffered a knee injury midway through the season that limited her final year. She was able to knock down a long three and got a run out layup that was the final basket of the game. Coach Petersen was then able to call timeout and give Grubbs a curtain call that she certainly deserves after a phenomenal career.

Listen to Coach Petersen’s postgame comments below.

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