GRUNDY CENTER — Injuries and multiple illnesses derailed the South Hamilton girls’ basketball team late in the regular season and the Hawks were unable to put the pieces back together in the postseason.

Too many turnovers — 29 in all — and not enough looks at the basket — just 38 shots taken — left South Hamilton with little chance of staying competitive in a 49-27 loss to Grundy Center in a Class 2A Region 4 quarterfinal last night.

The Spartans (15-7) started quick and never trailed, as they advanced to Friday’s regional semifinal against fourth-ranked MFL-Mar-Mac in Oelwein. South Hamilton (6-14) saw its season end with losses in its last seven outings.

“We struggled with their press right off the bat and had way too many turnovers,” South Hamilton head coach Mark Henderson said. “We got ourselves in a hole right away.”

Hawks’ starting guard Aneesa Balderas spent the last few weeks of the season battling a nagging ankle injury, and starting post player Caleigh Hewitt sat out at the end of the regular season with a concussion. She only returned to practice on Monday.

“We haven’t had our normal starting five together for six games until (last night),” Henderson said. “It’s felt like a month since we had our full group together.”

Grundy Center led 18-6 after one quarter. South Hamilton briefly closed the gap to six in the second quarter, but the Spartans answered with five straight points off a pair of turnovers and the Hawks never got within single digits again.

Grundy Center outscored South Hamilton 15-1 in the third quarter to put the game away.

Brookelyn George scored eight points to lead the Hawks in a losing effort. Hewitt produced six points in her return to the court, while Balderas and Hallee Feaker registered five points each.

Grundy Center owned a 16-2 advantage at the free throw line and Lainey Thoren went 7 of 8 at the stripe en route to 15 points. Bailey Reding led the Spartans with 16 points.

Grundy Center 49, S. Hamilton 27

Class 2A Region 4 Quarterfinal

Tuesday at Grundy Center

South Hamilton (6-14) — Rocio Martinez 1 0-0 3, Emma Lewis 0 0-0 0, Hailey Diersen 0 0-0 0, Hallee Feaker 2 1-4 5, Brookelyn George 3 1-3 8, Aneesa Balderas 2 0-0 5, Caleigh Hewitt 3 0-0 6, Kylee Gunderson 0 0-0 0, Chandler George 0 0-0 0, Mackenzy Grady 0 0-0 0, Zoey Duns 0 0-0 0, Kate Barkema 0 0-0 0. Totals: 11 2-7 27.

Grundy Center (15-7) — Kyah Luhring 0 0-0 0, Jacque Kuester 0 0-0 0, Paiton Wallis 1 0-0 3, Lainey Thoren 4 7-8 15, Danita Gardiner 1 2-3 4, Shelby Rivera 1 3-3 5, Frannie Brown 2 0-0 4, Bella Dole 0 0-0 0, Emma Beck 0 0-0 0, Taylor Stahl 0 0-0 0, Leslie Homeister 0 2-4 2, Bailey Reding 7 2-3 16. Totals: 16 16-21 49.

S. Ham. 6 9 1 9 — 27

Gr. Ctr. 18 6 15 10 — 49

3-point field goals — SH 3 (Martinez, George, Balderas); GC 1 (Wallis). Team fouls — SH 18, GC 9. Fouled out — SH: Feaker.