REINBECK – The Gladbrook-Reinbeck girls’ basketball program scratched a 31-year itch when it advanced to the Class 1A state tournament last winter.

The Rebels have a hankering to get back there again this season.

Gladbrook-Reinbeck capped the 2024-25 campaign with the school’s first appearance in the girls’ state basketball tournament since the 1994 squad qualified for the season-ending bracket at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines.

G-R’s trip to Wells Fargo Arena, which has since been rebranded as the Casey’s Center, might not be a one-off.

The Rebels return three starters and three more girls who played in all 25 games last year en route to a 21-4 record that had the opportunity to move even higher.

Gladbrook-Reinbeck fell 33-29 to the defending champions from North Linn in the 1A state quarterfinals, powered by a defense that limited the Lynx to their fewest points since 2016.

G-R ranked second in 1A last winter, holding opponents to an average of 31.7 points per game, and the Rebels’ offense was 13th at 55.7 points per contest.

Head coach Amber Gerringer says consistent scoring from the outside will go a long way to helping the Rebels make a return trip to Des Moines this season.

“We need to find consistent outside shooting to improve our game this year,” said Gerringer, now in her sixth season with G-R.

The Rebels shot just 26.2 percent (111-for-420) from 3-point range last season, a trend that was exacerbated by a 2-for-15 shooting performance from distance during the state tournament loss to North Linn.

While the outside shooting may be a bugaboo for the Rebels, getting buckets on the inside should come as no surprise. Kennedy Brant, a first-team Iowa Girls Coaches Association all-state selection, is a 6-foot senior forward who averaged 17 points, 12.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.4 steals and 2.1 blocks per game – all team highs – last season.

Elly Sieh, a 5-11 senior guard, scored 12.2 points per game a year ago, while 5-7 senior guard Brinn Schneider was the team’s top 3-point shooter last season with 35 made 3s.

“Kennedy Brant and Elly Sieh are a key duo for us this season,” said Gerringer. “Their ability to score and see the floor on offense makes them tough to guard.”

G-R’s three returning starters will be joined by seniors Leila Thesing and Olivia

Riffey and junior guard Kailey Larson, each of whom played in all 25 games last season.

Gerringer pinpointed senior Mailea McLean and junior Natalie Witt as contributors to the guard position as well this year.

The Rebels won the NICL West Division title last year with a 7-1 record, and Brant was named the league’s Player of the Year. G-R was polled fourth in the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union’s preseason 1A rankings, so the state sees G-R the same way Gerringer does.

“We’re hoping to be very competitive again and hoping to make the state tournament,” she said. “We need to focus on winning one game at a time through our tough schedule.”