Ava Mundt’s layup with 10 seconds left helped the Spartans outlast Gladbrook-Reinbeck, 40-38, at Grundy Center High School.

Grundy Center improved to 2-1; Gladbrook-Reinbeck, ranked 13th in Class 1A, fell to 2-1.

Mundt led the Spartans with 15 points, and her final two points were an immediate response to a three-point play by G-R’s Kennedy Brant with 21 seconds to play that had G-R ahead, 38-37.

One week prior, Grundy Center fell short in a 32-30 nailbiter against a 2A-ranked Denver team.

“I knew we had to stay calm, but we needed a basket,” Mundt said. “We needed that in that moment, because we didn’t want to lose again.”

Kali Aldrich weaved a bounce pass in to Mundt, who started dribbling to her right and then cut back to her left for a leaning lay-up around Brant.

Elly Sieh’s attempt at a potential game-winner was off the mark, Cat Brown added one of two free throws on the ensuing Spartan possession and Sieh’s last-second desperation heave was wide right.

Grundy Center head coach Matt Lindeman was encouraged to see sophomores like Mundt and Brown step up in the clutch for the young Spartan team.

“I was really proud, we grew up a little bit tonight,” Lindeman said. “We looked pretty young out there compared to G-R’s upperclassmen. Elly and Kennedy do such a good job of creating shots and getting post position, so we had to be at our best. I don’t know if we initially were at times, but the girls continue to find a way.”

Sieh and Brant finished with 15 and 13 points, respectively, for the Rebels. Brant made the most of limited time on the floor, with foul trouble throughout the first half.

“That throws off rotations, and having Lily [Dripps] on the bench just adds that layer of difference,” G-R head coach Amber Gerringer said. “I think the girls did a good job of staying within striking distance and surviving without her, but having her on the bench for seven, eight minutes is a big difference in a two-point game.”

Dripps, one of the senior leaders for the Rebels, was on crutches with a brace on her left leg on Tuesday. Gerringer said Dripps’ status is unknown at this time.

The Spartans led for most of the game, but Sieh’s four-point play on a three-pointer made while she was fouled had the Rebels back in the game for a back-and-forth finish.

The teams will meet again later this year in Reinbeck.

“Every night in our conference is going to be 50-50, and I think the girls know that at this point,” Gerringer said. “We just have to come out and play our best every night, and hopefully we can take this one loss and bounce back from it and be better the next game.”

Grundy Center 40, Gladbrook-Reinbeck 38

GLADBROOK-REINBECK (2-1, 0-1) — Brinn Schneider 2 2-2 7, Olivia Riffey 0 0-0 0, Dylan Mathern 0 0-0 0, Elly Sieh 5 4-5 15, Kennedy Brant 5 3-5 13, Leila Thesing 0 0-0 0, Kailey Larsen 1 0-0 3. TOTALS 13 9-12 38.

GRUNDY CENTER (2-1, 1-0) — Maddy Hendershot 1 2-2 4, Kali Aldrich 1 0-2 3, Caturella Brown 2 1-2 5, Ava Mundt 5 5-8 15, Raelyn Steinmeyer 1 0-0 3, Paige Venenga 2 0-0 4. TOTALS 15 8-14 40.

G-R 12 4 11 11 — 38

GRUNDY CTR. 10 11 11 8 — 40

3-Point Goals–G-R 3 (Schneider, Sieh, Larsen), GC 2 (Aldrich, Steinmeyer). Team Fouls–G-R 11, GC 11. Fouled Out–none.