When the Sumner High girls basketball squad’s season came to a close Feb. 20 in a West Central District loser-out game against Fife, it was apparent what a vital cog their 6-foot freshman post Jaime Lange had been all season.

The Spartans fell 51-47 to the Trojans, a team they had beaten twice during the regular season, at Lakes High School. The Spartans finished with a 10-4 regular season record.

Lange did not log a minute of play against Fife, due to an injury sustained two days earlier during a playoff encounter against Kingston High.

Lange was conspicuous in her absence against Fife. She had been the team’s leading scoring threat and top rebounder on the year.

The spirited Sumner crew soldiered on, though, to make a pretty good game of it.

A handful of seasoned players stepped up, with the offensive attack spearheaded by senior Tayler Holtman, who notched 16 points.

Fife went 10-of-15 from the foul line during the fourth frame to put a damper on any comeback designs the Spartans may have had.

“This year’s young team exceeded a lot of people’s expectations,” coach Robert Thayer said. “When we graduated a dozen seniors at the end of last year, most fans weren’t looking for much out of this less-experienced bunch.”

This year’s accomplishments, particularly the playoff experience, should prove invaluable in coming years,” Thayer added.