TYLER — The Russell-Tyler-Ruthton girls basketball team’s tenacious efforts on defense and on the glass helped the team continue to make progress this year. After finishing last season 11-16, the Knights got up above .500 this season at 14-13, eventually earning a No. 4 seed in the 3A South tournament.

On average, the Knights limited their opponents to just 48.1 points per game. Much of their defensive success came due to their ability to generate turnovers; Paisley Thooft and Ava Guida led the charge with 3.2 and 2.9 steals per game, and Ava Karbo set the tone on the defensive interior with over a block per game.

Thooft was also at the forefront of the Knights’ success on the glass. The junior forward was among the Independent area’s premier rebounders, finishing the year with 13 rebounds per game while Karbo contributed another seven. Thooft’s rebounds were particularly impactful on the offensive end, where she grabbed 5.2 rebounds per game to give the Knights plenty of extra offensive opportunities.

RTR was adept at bouncing back from a down game, never losing more than two straight games at any point in the season. The Knights also picked up some big wins over the course of the year. They defeated 3A South finalist Murray County Central 52-49 and also earned a pair of regular-season wins over Westbrook-Walnut Grove. Still, the Knights’ season ended with a loss to WWG in the subsection quarterfinals, 52-40.

Scoring was a team effort for the Knights. While they didn’t have any players averaging 12 or more points, Brezlyn Buchert, Thooft, Makayla Hesse and Guida all averaged at least 8 points.

RTR graduates Buchert, Karbo, Guida, Kendyle Breyfogle, Taya Christensen and Jillian Schoenfeld.