Spartan girls cruise, advance to regional finals

The top-ranked Grundy Center girls’ basketball team lived up to its billing last week with a pair of lopsided wins over Lake Mills and Jesup, respectively, setting up Monday night’s matchup against Sumner-Fredericksburg with a trip to the Class 2A state tournament on the line.
 
Grundy Center 70, Lake Mills 15
Star guard Hailey Wallis hit five three-pointers and finished with 26 points as the Spartans beat up on an overmatched Lake Mills squad in Grundy Center last Wednesday to advance out of a Class 2A regional quarterfinal.
           
A defensive full court press stifled the Bulldogs all night, and senior Kylie Willis scored six of her team’s first nine points. Grundy Center went on a 22-0 run to end the first quarter, and Wallis had already reached double figures by the horn. By halftime, the undefeated Spartans had pushed the lead to 35-9. 
 
Grundy Center 64, Jesup 48
Although Wallis struggled to find her groove during Friday night’s regional semifinal against Jesup, fellow seniors Kylie Willis, Cora Saak and Brooke Flater picked up the slack as the Spartans pulled away in the second quarter and never looked back en route to a 64-48 victory.
           
“We would not be where we are without them, obviously, and what they bring to the table. So they’ll continue to play a big part,” Lindeman said.
           
The J-Hawks (15-8) got off to a hot start in the opening frame and grabbed a 9-4 lead after an Emily Treptow transition lay-in, but Grundy Center (21-0) finished the quarter on a 10-0 that culminated with back-to-back threes from Sarah Lindeman and then Willis, who knocked one in as time expired. 
 
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