Spartans, Rebels split girls-boys hoops twinbill

Spartan girls wallop Rebels
 
REINBECK – The Grundy Center girls basketball team is showing its depth as one of its top players continues to mend an ankle injury.
 
Brooke Flater and Kylie Willis had career-high scoring nights of 23 and 16 points, respectively, as the Spartans sprinted past Gladbrook-Reinbeck for an 81-44 victory in the NICL West opener for both teams in Reinbeck on Friday night.
 
Sarah Lindeman and Leslie Homeister also set career-highs coming off the bench for 11 and 10 points.
 
Hailey Wallis, last season's top scorer for the Spartans, was a last-minute scratch from the starting lineup as Grundy Center coach Matt Lindeman noted he didn't want to risk any setbacks.
 
"I knew coming into the season that I'd have to score more just to help out the team," Flater said. "And especially since Hailey sprained her ankle, I knew someone had to step up and be a leader, too."
 
Grundy Ctr       24 20 21 16 — 81
G-R                   9  12 12 11 — 44
   GC (3-0, 1-0)–Reegan Zinkula 2 0-1 4, Maddie McMartin 2 0-0 5, Sydney Mathews 1 0-2 2, Jessica Ayers 1 0-0 3, Sarah Lindeman 4 3-8 11, Cora Saak 2 1-1 5, Kylie Willis 8 0-1 16, Brooke Flater 10 3-4 23, Leslie Homeister 5 0-0 10, Brittany Burroughs 0 0-0 0, Briana Heltibridle 1 0-0 2. Totals 36 7-17 81.
   G-R (1-1, 0-1)–Paige Creswell 0 1-3 1, Saari Kuehl 0 0-1 0, Lily Ehlers 0 0-0 0, Maddie Frischmeyer 1 1-4 4, Megan Swanson 2 1-3 6, Madison Denny-Weber 1 1-2 4, Taylor Gienger 4 6-7 15, Brianna Strohbehn 0 0-0 0, Hanna Quackenbush 0 0-0 0, Rachel Cooley 0 0-0 0, Belen Ellenberger 3 0-2 6, McKenna Kupka 0 0-0 0, Haleigh Berendes 2 2-2 8. Totals 13 12-24 44.
   3-pointers: G-R 6 (Berendes 2, Gienger, Denny-Weber, Swanson, Frischmeyer); GC 2 (Ayers, McMartin). Rebounds: G-R 24 (Berendes 5, Gienger 4, Ellenberger 4); GC 49 (Flater 10, Lindeman 10). Assists: G-R 6 (Ellenberger 3); GC 27 (Flater 5, Mathews 5, McMartin 5). Steals: G-R 11 (Gienger 5); GC 14 (Mathews 4). Blocks: G-R 1, GC 5 (Saak 2). Team fouls: G-R 15, GC 19.
 

SLIDESHOW: Grundy Center at G-R boys/girls basketball

(view all photos as thumbnails)
 

Thede, Rebels top Spartans
 
Gladbrook-Reinbeck's Walker Thede had a career-high 20 points, including 11 in the second half of a 55-43 victory over Grundy Center on Friday.
 
The Rebels were battling foul trouble as Caden Kickbush exited the game with 3 minutes left in the third quarter with four fouls.
 
"Being a senior this year, I knew it was time to step up," Thede said. "I got some open looks and took some shots, something I wasn't able to do much of last year but I worked on it in the offseason and got some to fall."
 
G-R was able to build on an eight-point halftime lead and pulled away for good with a 10-0 run in the fourth quarter with six points from a re-entering Kickbush and four points from Thede. Kickbush finished with 12 points and Mason Skovgard contributed 13 points.
 
Grundy Ctr        6  14  8  15 — 43
G-R                  10 18 12 15 — 55
   GC (0-3, 0-1)–Drew Rathe 3 2-3 8, Cale Hendricks 3 0-0 7, Travis Kuester 1 0-0 3, Sage Klar 0 0-0 0, Mitchell Munson 3 0-0 8, Derek Ciddio 0 0-0 0, Tanner Phillips 1 0-0 2, Joe Johnson 1 2-2 4, Tanner Appel 1 0-0 2, Matthew Sternhagen 2 3-5 7, Landon Graham 2 0-0 4. Totals 17 7-10 43.
   G-R (1-0, 1-0)– Tyler Tscherter 1 1-2 3, Walker Thede 7 4-8 20, Matt Johannsen 0 2-3 2, Caden Kickbush 5 0-4 12, Eli Thede 0 0-0 0, Jackson Kiburis 1 0-1 2, Colton Clark 1 0-0 2, Mason Skovgard 5 2-4 13. Totals 20 9-22 55.
   3-pointers: G-R 5 (Thede 2, Kickbush 2, Skovgard); GC 4 (Munson 2, Kuester, Hendricks).
 
Read more in the Dec. 7 Grundy Register.