Graettinger-Terril's hustle and clutch shooting paid off in a state championship.

The Knights jumped to an early lead and held it the rest of the way in beating top-ranked IKM 53-49 to win the Class 1A title. The championship came in the school's first trip to state as a consolidated program.

Megan Torkelson, a 5-foot-4 senior, drove fearlessly into the lane against IKM's tall front line for baskets or to set up her teammates with passes and led the 12th-ranked Knights with 19 points.

Torkelson scored nine points in the fourth quarter to help her team protect its lead against the defending champs. She also had four assists and four steals.

Theresa Petersen added 18 points for Graettinger-Terril (26-2), which overcame IKM's size with its hustle and feisty play. Laura Laidig helped out with eight points and seven rebounds.

Nelia Olson led IKM (26-3) with 22 points and 10 rebounds, while Stephany Scheuring had 16 points and 13 rebounds. Katie Schechinger added nine points for the Hawks.

IKM has played in the championship game each of the last three years. The Hawks beat Treynor last year and lost to Charter Oak-Ute in 2005.

Petersen hit three 3-pointers for Graettinger-Terril and scored at the end of each of the first three quarters. Her jumper at the first-quarter buzzer gave the Knights a 15-6 lead and she hit a 3 from the left corner that kissed off the glass with 15 seconds left in the second quarter to make it 26-16 at halftime.

After IKM had rallied to cut the lead to 32-29, Petersen swished a 3 from the left corner with 26 seconds left in the third quarter to make it 35-29.

Petersen's third 3-pointer stretched the lead to 40-31, and she hit a baseline jumper to make it 44-35 with 3:31 left. The Knights then made nine of 12 free throws, including five by Torkelson, to secure the victory.

Torkelson, Petersen, Olson and Schechinger made the all-tournament team. They were joined by Lawton-Bronson's Mandy Wagner and WCLT's Stacey Schutjer, who was voted the team's captain.