SG Tops King, GM, and R-P, Leads SEC
The Spring Grove girls took sole possession of first place in the SEC with a 79-53 runaway win over Kingsland followed by a bizarre comeback 59-49 road victory at Grand Meadow. A day later, the Lions took a tight 56-53 non-conference home victory over section rival Rushford-Peterson. The Lions led the Knights all game, including a 38-26 halftime score before winning by 26 points. But there was drama at GM where Grove led by seven early but trailed 44-35 with 10 minutes to play. Amazingly, the Lions then outscored the Superlarks, 24-5, the rest of the way. With SG pressing full-court all game, GM had only five turnovers through the first 26 minutes before losing possession nine times during the final 10 minutes, hitting only one of its last nine shots. The Lions had no late turnovers while hitting 10 of their last 17 shots. After five early lead changes, SG spurted ahead of R-P with a seven-point run and led by 11 points at halftime. The Trojans then closed within one but did not catch up before falling by three, missing a desperation trey at the buzzer. The Lions (4-1, 8-3) are the only SEC team with only one league loss with a slim one-game lead in the loss column over Southland (6-2, 10-4), GM (5-2, 8-2), and Lanesboro (4-2, 7-5). But the Superlarks, having already been swept by the Lions, will now need help from SEC rivals to catch or surpass defending champion Spring Grove. Full-court defensive pressure and strong three-point shooting were recurrent themes in all three SG wins along with exceptional ball-handling during the two SEC conquests. Backcourt defense directly forced 33 of the three opponents’ 59 total turnovers. Conversely, the Lions had only eight turnovers versus the Knights and then only five at GM. From three-point land, Grove shot 39%, 38% and 38%, slightly better than the opponents 32%, 31% and 25%, respectively. Four different Lions netted three-balls, including Siri Konkel drilling 12 of 20 (60%) from downtown over the three-game stretch while scoring 21, 21 and 16 points. The 5’4” junior also passed out 18 total assists with only eight turnovers. She added 17 total steals. Kinley Soiney had a 17-point, 11-rebound double-double versus Kingsland and lifted four steals each game. Kylie Hammel tallied 18, 15 and 6 points, respectively. Emerson Ingvalson put in 10 against both Kingsland and R-P. Brinley Middendorf averaged 7 rebounds during the three games. For Kingsland, Hailee Warren scored 18 points to go with 8 rebounds. Lydia Redman added 11 points. Chantle Reiland contributed 7 (pts) and 6 (asts). For GM, Lauren Queensland scored a game-high 23 points and collected 9 caroms. Gracie Foster helped with 12 points, five boards. Naomi Warmka logged 8 (pts) and 8 (rebs). Pacing R-P (6-2, 8-4), Kaia Loney posted 14 points, 8 rebounds while Nadia Happel netted a team-high 15 points. Torryn Schneider supplied 9 (pts), 8 (rebs), and 4 (asts).
#6 Warriors Notably Top West-leading Eagles
Caledonia’s girls ran their win streak to five including notably topping Dover-Eyota. Scott Sorenson’s #6 in AA Warriors first scored a season high to beat St. Charles 89-27. Eleven Warriors scored, led by Aubrie Klug (26 pts, four threes), Nicole Banse (18 pts, three threes), Josie Foster (10 pts), and Sienna Augedahl (10 pts). Versus the West-leading Eagles (6-0, 8-4), East-leading Caledonia (7-0, 11-1) had Klug and Foster combine for 35 first half points, and the Warrior defense forced 16 turnovers, leading to a 47-33 halftime lead. Caledonia prevailed 74-50. Cal hit 23 of 29 free throws (80%) to D-E’s 13 of 20 (65). Klug (22 pts, 7-10 FTs, 5 stls), Foster (20 pts, 5-10 threes, 9 rebs, 8 blks), and Banse (15 pts, 6-7 FTs, 5 rebs, 7 asts, 5 stls) did big work. Elsa Blum scored 10 off the Warrior bench. Miranda Palmby (15 pts, 15 rebs) and Nora Pristash (15 pts) led D-E. The Warriors then easily took down Albert Lea, 83-28. Foster (25 pts, 4-10 threes, 7 rebs) and Klug (24 pts, 3-12 threes, 6 rebs, 4 stls) did big work. Augedahl (8 pts, 5 rebs) helped. Caledonia (8-0, 13-2) leads the TRC-East over Cotter (6-2, 9-5) and R-P (6-2, 8-4).
Three Rivers Conference Girls Basketball (1/7 – 1/10)
PEM 56, Rushford-Peterson 68 (R-P: Allanah Skalet 18 pts (5-7 FGs, 6-8 FTs); Kaia Loney 12 pts, 6 rebs; T. Schneider 11 pts, 4 rebs, 12 asts, 3 stls; Nadia Happel 10 pts. PEM: Alyvia Engler 30 pts. FTs: RP 16 of 31 (52%), PEM 17 of 26 (65%))
Chatfield 52, Fillmore Central 55 (FC: S. Bronner 22 pts (8-14 FGs, 5-6 FTs), 7 rebs; K. Hellickson 11 pts, 10 rebs. C: Grace Schroeder 17 pts (3-8 threes); Amaya Harmening 12 pts (4-5 FGs, 4-5 FTs), 10 rebs; Kylin Schroeder 7 pts, 4 asts. The game had 14 lead changes. Chatfield led 52-49 with 27.3 left, only for FC to get a basket, miss the and-one, quickly get a turnover, and get fouled again. Bronner hit two free throws with 0:08.4 left to put the Falcons ahead 53-52. Four of the Gophers final five possessions were turnovers, as they did not attempt a field goal in the final 2:09. Harmening had 12 and 10 in the second half)
Fillmore Central 54, Wabasha-Kellogg 28 (FC: S. Bronner 13 pts; K. Hellickson 11 pts, 6 asts; Aubrey Daniels 8 pts, 4 asts; Hannah Vaalemoen 8 pts. The Falcons have given up just 36 PPG in their wins)
Cotter 73, Chatfield 66 (Ch: L. Kivimagi 20 pts (6-10 FGs, 5-6 threes); A. Harmening 18 pts (8-11 FGs), 10 rebs; K. Schroeder 11 pts; Kendall Knutson 7 pts, 6 rebs, 5 asts. Chatfield shot 57% (24 of 42) including hitting 10 of 16 threes (63%), but had 30 turnovers and could not quite keep up with the Ramblers (5-2, 9-6). Chatfield > 4-5, 6-8)
Rushford-Peterson 68, St. Charles 28 (R-P: T. Schneider 13 pts (4-4 FGs), 6 asts; Nevaeh Happel 12 pts (5-9 FGs); Nad. Happel 9 pts, 5 asts, 4 stls; A. Skalet 9 pts, 4 asts; Addison Drinkall 9 pts; Shelby Tesch/Emily Helgemoe 7 pts)
Southeast Conference Girls Basketball (1/6 – 1/10)
Kingsland 54, Lanesboro 67 (L: J. Storhoff 29 pts (10-18 FGs, 6-12 threes), 7 asts; Hailey Erickson 8 pts; Taylor Hanson 8 pts, 8 rebs; Emma Root 7 pts, 9 rebs. K: Macy Runck 16 pts (4-10 threes); Chantle Reiland 11 pts, 7 rebs; Hailee Warren 11 pts, 5 asts; Lydia Redman 8 pts)
Lyle/Pacelli 37, Houston 66 (H: A. Boldt 27 pts (13-24 FGs), 6 rebs; A. Kingsley 22 pts (10-14 FGs), 8 rebs, 8 asts; Jorja Meyer 10 pts (4-6 FGs), 11 rebs. Houston won the second half 39-17. It was 27-20 at halftime. Houston won its fourth in a row)
LeRoy-Ostrander 20, Southland 61
Lyle/Pacelli 64, Kingsland 66 (K: H. Warren 20 pts, 9 rebs; C. Reiland 14 pts, 6 rebs, 8 asts; M. Runck 13 pts (3-9 threes); L. Redman 8 pts)
Southland 58, Houston 47 (H: J. Meyer 18 pts, 10 rebs; Olivia Yohe 7 pts. Southland held Avery Kingsley and Aubry Boldt to seven points (they average 35 PPG combined). Houston (4-3, 9-4) had a four-game win streak snapped. Rebels are 10-3)
Lanesboro 60, LeRoy-Ostrander 48 (L: J. Storhoff 21 pts, 7 rebs, 7 asts, 6 stls; H. Erickson 10 pts, 11 rebs; T. Hanson 8 pts, 5 rebs; E. Root 6 pts, 11 rebs. LO: B. Nolt 20 pts, 5 rebs; Mabel Johnson 13 pts; Maria Almaraz-Nolt 7 pts. LO > 0-7, 0-11)
Non-Conference Girls Basketball (1/6 – 1/10)
Fillmore Central 55, Houston 60 (H: A. Kingsley 22 pts (6-10 FTs), 7 rebs; A. Boldt 20 pts (7-12 FGs), 6 rebs; Emily Botcher 13 pts (5-6 FGs, 3-4 threes), 6 rebs. FC: K. Hellickson 24 pts (5-11 threes), 10 rebs; S. Bronner 6 pts, 10 rebs. Houston was out-shot by 50 attempts; 21 of 42 (50%) to FCs 20 of 92 (22%), but still got the win.)
Chatfield 40, Cannon Falls 51 (C: G. Schroeder 13 pts, 4 stls. Chatfield fell back 34-17 at halftime, shot 21% (12 of 58))
LeRoy-Ostrander 44, Lewiston-Altura 55 (L-O: B. Nolt 22 pts, 17 rebs; Miranda Nagel 10 pts, 10 rebs)
Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons 54, Kingsland 50 (K: H. Warren 12 pts, 6 rebs; C. Reiland 12 pts, 5 asts, 4 rebs; M. Runck 9 pts (3-12 threes), 4 stls; L. Redman 6 pts, 7 rebs, 3 stls. Knights > 2-4, 3-8)
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