The Exira-EHK-Audubon girls basketball team punched their ticket to the state tournament Wednesday night with a 57-38 win over the GTRA Titans. Physicality and defense were the story of the night. In a raucous atmosphere both teams locked down the other early. The first quarter saw just 15 points scored between the two. However, halfway through the second, Exira-EHK-Audubon broke through. Outscoring GTRA 11-2 in the back half of the second quarter, it was the run they needed to take control of the game. Exira-EHK-Audubon kept GTRA at arm’s length for much of the rest of the game. Although the Titans made a bid to get back in the game late, the combination of foul trouble and Exira-EHK-Audubon’s depth and physicality had taken its toll. For Exira-EHK-Audubon, they’ll make their first appearance at the state tournament since 2022 and it’s the seventh time a team associated with Exira-EHK has made the state tournament since 2015.

Although somewhat expected for a region final, it can’t go without being said that the atmosphere in Carroll was electric. The stands were packed by the time starting lineups were announced, and the students showed up in force and were loud. However, the offensives did not. Both teams combined for just 15 points in the opening quarter. However, this was in large part due to the physicality and tenacity of the defense. A trait that would last throughout the rest of the night. They both forced turnovers, made it difficult for each other to find success on the inside and rebounded well. Despite having a size disadvantage, GTRA rebounded quite well, but it did not translate to anything offensively.

Exira-EHK-Audubon was clinging to a 1-point lead heading into the second but the first half of the quarter looked a like the first, except Exira-EHK-Audubon completely shut down the Titans in the period. While in the first, Exira-EHK Audubon’s defense was strong, it was smothering in the second. They allowed just four points the entire quarter, which opened the door for to Exira-EHK-Audubon offense to break through. From the halfway point of the second quarter the game belonged to Exira-EHK-Audubon. They outscored GTRA 11-2 over that time frame and it was in large part due to their secondary scoring. Harlow Miller, who played a big factor in the game on the inside picked up four points in the second. Meanwhile Zoey Rasmussen came off the bench and hit two big threes.  This run at the end of the second quarter turned out to be one of the defining moments of the game. Establishing that cushion, allowed them to survive any push that the Titans would muster later in the game.

Although Exira-EHK-Audubon wasn’t as dominant in the second half as they were in the second half, they didn’t need to be. Considering you’d expect nothing less than a strong push from a very good GTRA team with their season on the line, Exira-EHK-Audubon did everything they needed to do. They continued to defend well, and most importantly, found ways to respond every time the Titans started to pick up a little bit of steam. Taryn Petersen added 14 points in the second half, many of which came from the foul-line. This exemplified Exira-EHK-Audubon’s physicality, which led to problems for GTRA. Already with a short bench, foul trouble became an issue for the Titans. Late in the game four Titans had four fouls, putting them at risk to lose one of their key players. However, in the final two minutes, something clicked. GTRA finally found the three ball and with 1:19 had clawed their back to within nine. However, a foul on a rebound would all but end GTRA’s slim chances at comeback when the bench picked up a technical on the same. In addition to allowing Exira-EHK-Audubon a chance to reextend their lead to double-digits but also gave them ball. After this point, all that was left was to watch the clock tick down.

Yet again, Exira-EHK-Audubon proved why they belong at the state tournament. Their speed and talent, particularly on defense serves them well, while their offense does everything they need it to do. Winners of 22 straight, they won’t make life easy for any opponent they see in Des Moines.

Physicality was a massive part of the game right from the start.

That was Taryn Petersen who led Exira-EHK-Audubon in scoring with 21 points. However, it was the defense that was the biggest factor according to Harlow Miller.

Making the state tournament is nothing new for this program. However, it will be new for everyone on the team. However, Taryn Petersen thinks the chemistry that this group has separates them from others.

The state tournament will be nothing new for head coach Tom Petersen, and he is looking to cherish the moment.

Exira-EHK-Audubon will enter the tournament as the sixth seed. They will open Wednesday night at 6:45 pm against the third seeded St. Albert Saintes who are 21-3 and defeated Coon Rapids-Bayard in the region 3 final 68-48. You can catch all the action on KJAN.

Region 7 –

West Lyon – 46 vs Riverside – 21

Region 1 –

Rock Valley – 38 vs Sioux Central – 35

Region 2 –

Central Lyon – 41 vs Westwood – 26

Region 3 –

Hinton – 46 vs Earlham – 38

Region 4 –

Denver – 50 vs Cascade – 28

Region 5 –

Emmetsburg – 64 vs Maquoketa Valley – 43

Region 6 –

Treynor – 60 vs Pleasantville – 41

Region 8 –

Regina Catholic – 47 vs Grundy Center – 36

Region 7 –

Exira-EHK – 57 vs GTRA – 38

Region 1 – 

Newell-Fonda – 71 vs George-Little Rock – 37

Region 2 – 

Bishop Garrigan – 55 vs Lake Mills – 33

Region 3 – 

St. Albert – 68 vs Coon Rapids-Bayard – 48

Region 4 –

Kee High – 55 vs Springville – 43

Region 5 –

Lynnville-Sully – 56 vs North Union – 33

Region 6 –

Dunkerton – 67 vs Edgewood-Colesburg – 44

Region 8 – 

Saint Ansgar – 52vs Gladbrook-Reinbeck – 49

The Iowa men used a 28-3 first half run to take command and rolled to a 74-57 win over Ohio State last night (Wednesday). The Hawkeyes are now 10-7 in the Big Ten and 20-8 overall. It is their first 20 win season in four years.

That’s Iowa coach Ben McCollum who says the defense picked up after the Buckeyes led 14-2 at the outset.

Bennett Stirtz led the Hawkeyes with 22 points while Alvaro Folgueiras (fool-gair-us) came off the bench to finish with 20.

J.T. Pettigrew’s three pointer with two seconds remaining lifted Valparaiso to a 74-71 win over Drake, Wednesday night. The Bulldog’s missed seven of their final eight shots and had two crucial turnovers in the final minute in suffering their eighth straight loss.

That’s Drake coach Eric Henderson. It was the latest in a string of losses in which the Bulldogs crumbled at crunch time.

Drake is now 6-13 in the Valley.

Johnny Kinziger’s basket with 12 seconds remaining was the game winner as Illinois State edged UNI 71-69 in the McLeod Center, Wednesday night. The Panthers fall to 10-9 in the Missouri Valley after suffering their second straight loss at home.

That’s UNI coach Ben Jacobson. The loss means the Panthers will be in the play-in round at next week’s Valley Tournament in St. Louis.

The Panthers close the regular season Sunday at Drake.

Oklahoma State outscored the Iowa State women 28-17 in the fourth quarter, Wednesday, and spoiled Senior Night with an 88-77 win.

That’s ISU coach Bill Fennelly. Oklahoma State guard Stailee Heard had 22 points and added 14 rebounds.

The Cyclones fall to 9-8 in the Big 12.

The ninth ranked Iowa Hawkeye women close the regular season home slate on Thursday night by hosting Illinois. Iowa coach Jan Jensen says the Illini will be a challenge for the Hawkeyes to defend.

At 9-7 in the Big Ten and 19-8 overall the Illini are looking to boost the NCAA hopes.

The Hawkeyes are 13-3 in the Big Ten and 22-5 overall. They enter the final week of the regular season with the inside track to the two seed in the Big Ten Tournament and hosting the first two round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Northern Iowa women close the home schedule Thursday night by hosting Valparaiso. The Panthers are fifth in the Missouri Valley at 9-7. Valparaiso is 0-27 on the season but is a concern for Panther coach Tanya Warren.

Warren says the Panthers are still seeking consistency.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa’s Jordan Gross, Dymonde Nave and Lovisa Ulvenstam earned Big Ten Athlete of the Week honors, the conference announced on Wednesday.

Gross, a native of Vandalia, Ohio, was named the Big Ten Men’s Freshman of the Week following his performance at the Iowa Open. Gross placed second in the 60 meters, finishing just off of his personal best in 6.66. He won his preliminary heat in 6.71. Gross is the third-ranked freshman in the Big Ten in the 60 meters and heads to the Big Ten Championships ranked fourth all-time at Iowa. He opened the season as the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Dec. 17.

Nave, a junior from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was named the Big Ten Women’s Track Athlete of the Week after winning the 60-meter hurdles at the Iowa Open. Nave posted two times that improved her standing on the program’s top-10 list. She opened with a lifetime best of 8.34 that moved her to eighth in school history. In the finals, Nave shaved a tenth of a second from her time and finished in 8.24 to climb to seventh on the program’s record book. She concludes the regular season with her second conference award after winning Big Ten Women’s Track Athlete of the Week on Dec. 17.

Ulvenstam doubled as the Big Ten Women’s Field Athlete and Freshman of the Week after two podium finishes in the triple jump and long jump. The freshman from Ostersund, Sweden, won the triple jump at 12.39 meters at the Iowa Open. She completed a career weekend with a second-place mark of 5.94 meters in the long jump. Ulvenstam’s long jump leap was a personal record and pushed her to eighth on Iowa’s all-time list. She is ranked fourth among freshman in the Big Ten in the event. Ulvenstam is Iowa’s first women’s field athlete of the week recipient this season. She joins Izzy Zahn as one of Iowa’s women’s freshmen of the week award winners in the 2025-26 campaign.

The Hawkeyes begin the 2026 Big Ten Indoor Track and Field Championships on Thursday in Indianapolis.