‘VERY PROUD’ Coach JD Biermann was pleased with the effort his Excelsior Springs varsity basketball team showed Feb. 13 in its 63-40 courtwarming loss to Grandview.“We had the lead for a while in the third quarter, but once they took the lead back, they didn’t give it up and slowly kept extending it,” Biermann stated Tuesday via email. “I am very proud of the hard work and effort our girls put into the game.”Josie Casler and Reese Ryan led the hard-working Excelsior Springs girls with nine points apiece. Other scorers included Bella Loeffert and Kinley Rogers, who contributed eight points apiece.The defeat dropped the girls to 10-10 overall and 2-4 in the Greater Kansas City Suburban Conference-Blue Division entering this week.Excelsior Springs was slated to start this week against Blue Division and Missouri Highway 92 rival Kearney Tuesday ...