Grand Valley Beats Springfield to Advance in Playoffs

Mustangs rally in fourth quarter to defeat Tigers and move on to next round

Published on Feb. 27, 2026

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The sixth-seeded Grand Valley Mustangs overcame a third-quarter deficit to defeat the 16th-seeded Springfield Tigers 44-34 in a Division VI, Northeast 3 sectional bracket final. Junior Reese Nims led Grand Valley with 13 points, while sophomore Sophia Thirion added 11. The Mustangs, who finished the regular season with a program-best 19-3 record, will host Mapleton in the next round on Tuesday.

Why it matters

This victory continues Grand Valley's strong season and playoff run, showcasing the team's resilience and ability to bounce back from adversity. The Mustangs, with no seniors on the roster, have demonstrated growth and maturity in close games, which will be crucial as they advance deeper into the postseason.

The details

Grand Valley trailed 28-25 heading into the fourth quarter, but the Mustangs' offense came alive, scoring 19 points in the final frame to secure the victory. Coach Zach Sirrine praised his team's composure and ability to make adjustments, noting that the experience of coming back from a large deficit earlier in the season helped prepare them for this challenge.

  • The game was played on Thursday, February 20, 2026.
  • Grand Valley finished the regular season with a 19-3 record.

The players

Zach Sirrine

The head coach of the Grand Valley Mustangs, who guided his team to a program-best 19-3 regular season record and a playoff victory.

Reese Nims

A junior player for the Grand Valley Mustangs, who led the team with 13 points in the playoff victory.

Sophia Thirion

A sophomore player for the Grand Valley Mustangs, who scored 11 points in the playoff victory.

Regan Roganski

A player for the Springfield Tigers, who led her team with 13 points in the playoff loss.

John Matisi

The head coach of the Springfield Tigers, who praised his team's positive attitude and execution despite the playoff defeat.

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What they’re saying

“They did well. They were a little flustered, obviously, in the third quarter, but they stayed composed. I think they got to see some shots go in, got a little bit of good momentum, and we're able to get that coming (into the fourth). Then we were able to finally get some stops, and it led to some offense for us.”

— Zach Sirrine, Head Coach, Grand Valley Mustangs (tribtoday.com)

“It shows some maturity and some growth. I think we haven't played a ton of close games this year, so the fact that they were able to turn it around (was great). We played Perry, and we were down 17, and came back and won that game. Hopefully, having that kind of experience built a little bit of a background for us to be able to come back tonight and kind of hold them back at bay, and then finally, get some stops defensively.”

— Zach Sirrine, Head Coach, Grand Valley Mustangs (tribtoday.com)

“They're a great, great group of girls. And the really good thing is we have no seniors. So we're looking for everybody running it back next year, but we're not really worried about next year right now. We're just worried about going 1-0 in each game.”

— Zach Sirrine, Head Coach, Grand Valley Mustangs (tribtoday.com)

“We were just very positive all week of practice. This might have been our best week. We feel like we did a great job, and we had time to prepare, and we executed just tremendously well for a big part of that game. It really is a credit to the girls.”

— John Matisi, Head Coach, Springfield Tigers (tribtoday.com)

What’s next

Grand Valley (20-3) will host Mapleton in the next round of the playoffs on Tuesday.

The takeaway

This game showcased the resilience and growth of the young Grand Valley Mustangs team, which was able to overcome a third-quarter deficit to secure the playoff victory. The Mustangs' ability to bounce back from adversity and their depth of talent, with no seniors on the roster, bode well for their continued success in the postseason.