T-R PHOTO BY JAKE RYDER - Grundy Center girls basketball is heading back to the state tournament for the first time since 2021. This year’s seniors for the Spartans are front row, from left: Blessing Edittu and Lucy Lebo; back row: Laney Dole, Carlie Willis and Ellery Luhring.

GRUNDY CENTER — Grundy Center girls basketball doesn’t want to be done yet.

The Spartans believe their remarkable turnaround this winter from an 11-11 finish last year is just the first step in a second season that begins Wednesday morning in a Class 2A state quarterfinal against Panorama at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.

“I don’t think people realize the tough teams we play,” Grundy Center senior Ellery Luhring said. “Those close games, those gritty games help us be a better team, and I think people will see that down at the state tournament.”

Luhring is part of a strong senior class for the Spartans that includes four girls who played on the volleyball team that reached the state semifinals in Coralville earlier this school year.

She averaged 9.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game, second only to her senior teammate Carlie Willis who puts in 12.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per contest.

Lucy Lebo and Laney Dole are the other two starting seniors for the Spartans; Lebo averages 8.1 points per game and Dole does a little bit of everything, averaging four points, four rebounds and almost two assists per game for the Spartans.

“Laney does so many little things, and everybody brings little pieces like that,” Grundy Center head coach Matt Lindeman said. “It’s fun to watch them step up in big situations. … We’re facing a very good Panorama team that a lot of people don’t believe we can win, but this group has been talking, game planning and getting ourselves ready for that.”

The Panthers of Panorama (23-1) are making their third-consecutive state tournament appearance and return all five starters from a team that bowed out to eventual state runner-up Central Lyon in the quarterfinals last season.

Tyme Boettcher leads the way with 20 points per game and Jaidyn Sellers, a softball commit to the University of Iowa, adds 14.5 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Mia Waddle chips in 9.5 points, 4.5 assists and 3.5 steals per game.

“They’re a team that’s very explosive offensively,” Lindeman said. “[Boettcher] has almost Caitlin Clark range. We have to understand that if she’s open, she’s going to let it go, almost from anywhere. [Waddle] is a really good point guard and they try to cause a lot of chaos in their full-court press and in the halfcourt in their 1-2-2. … [Sellers] is a Division I athlete and looks like it, she can cover a lot of ground, very athletic, and likes to block shots and then be strong driving to the basket and getting rebounds for putbacks.

“We’ve got to play it in a similar way to [the regional final against] Nodaway Valley — they’re averaging 60 points per game and we’ve got to keep it much below that. And if we do that like we did that night, it gives us a chance.”

The only previous state basketball experience the Grundy Center seniors have is as late subs in Grundy Center’s last appearance at state, a 49-33 loss to West Branch on March 3, 2021.

“I remember being nervous but also excited to go out there and experience that atmosphere on the court,” Lebo said.

The Spartans also have an impressive set of underclassmen that provide a peek into Grundy Center’s success both presently and in the years to come; sophomore Kali Aldrich has started all 23 games for the Spartans and Karlee Lynch, Maddy Hendershot and Ava Mundt have all made significant contributions, including Lynch’s team-leading 17 points off the bench in the regional final against Nodaway Valley. Junior Paige Venenga is also a key contributor off the bench for the Spartans.

“We had a really strong nucleus from last year with Karlee and Kali playing with the older girls,” Lindeman said. “How these girls treat each other, respect each other and work together, they’re just doing everything they can to play the best they can as a team and try to get a win at the end of the night.”

Wednesday’s game will pit two top-10 defenses in Class 2A against each other – Panorama comes into the game averaging just 32 points per game to opponents, while Grundy Center averages only 36 allowed per game.

“Our defense has gotten a lot better from last year to this year,” Lebo said. “We’re all finding our roles now, knowing our strengths and weaknesses, and just knowing that we have each other’s backs.”

Lebo noted that what started as a “surreal” moment in the regional final victory is now a very real chance to compete against the state’s best at The Well.

“Like in volleyball, I don’t think a lot of people expected us to make it here,” Lebo said. “But we want to show them that we’re a tough team.”

Iowa Girls High School State Basketball Tournament

At Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines

CLASS 2A

Quarterfinals

Tuesday, Feb. 27

No. 1 Dike-New Hartford (23-2) vs. No. 8 Cascade (17-6), 6:45 p.m.

No. 4 Sioux Central (22-1) vs. No. 5 Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (23-1), 8:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Feb. 28

No. 2 Panorama (23-1) vs. No. 7 Grundy Center (21-2), 10 a.m.

No. 3 Westwood (21-0) vs. No. 6 Central Lyon (20-3), 11:45 a.m.