GRANITE FALLS -- Emily Balfany made five steals and scored 11 of her game-high 18 points in the second half to help Yellow Medicine East rally past BOLD 61-53 in the West Central South Conference opener for both squads Tuesday.
BOLD (0-1, 0-3) grabbed control in the first half and went into halftime up 32-29. YME (1-0, 1-2) then put together a run to start the second half to catch up and eventually pull away. The Sting also got 10 points from Anne Jepson, seven rebounds from Livi Jeseritz and five blocks from Megan Lecy.
Brit Bailey and Leah Miller both netted 15 points to lead the BOLD offense.
YME 61, BOLD 53
BOLD (0-1, 0-3) 32 21 -- 53
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YME (1-0, 1-2) 29 32 -- 61
BOLD - 20-44 FG (1-1 3 pt); 13-29 FT; 25 rebounds; 24 fouls ... Scoring: Brit Bailey 15, Leah Miller 15, Jackie Wertish 7, Bre Keltgen 5, Tara Hilgert 2, Ashley Zuehls 4, Kelsey Jacobs 2, Alli Marcus 2, Carrie Hebrink 1 ... 3-point shots: Keltgen 1 ... Rebound leaders: Bailey 7, Zuehls 5 ... Assist leader: Wertish 4 ... Steal leaders: Miller 3, Zuehls 3
YELLOW MEDICINE EAST - 20-60 FG (2-5 3 pt); 19-31 FT; 36 rebounds; 23 fouls ... Scoring: Darcie Listul 7, Emily Balfany 18, Abbey Olson 4, Haley Bennett 8, Jodie Stensrud 5, Livi Jeseritz 2, Sarah Cross 4, Anne Jepson 10, Emma Volstad 3 ... 3-point shots: Listul 1, Balfany 1 ... Rebound leaders: Jeseritz 7, Volstad 6 ... Assist leaders: Balfany 2, Bennett 2 ... Steal leaders: Balfany 5, Volstad 4, Stensrud 4 ... Blocks: Megan Lecy 5
Morris/CA 55, Benson 53
In a see-saw battle, Morris/Chokio-Alberta held off Benson, which missed a three-pointer with 10 seconds remaining.
Brittany Nelson led a balanced scoring attack for the Tigers (1-0, 2-1) with 10 points. Heather Gagner added nine points and five steals and Jasmine Henrich eight points and seven rebounds.
Abby Fragodt poured in 20 points and had nine rebounds and five steals for the Braves (1-1, 2-2). Brittany Holm chipped in 12 points.
Morris/CA (1-0, 2-1) 29 26 -- 55
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Benson (1-1, 2-2) 23 30 -- 53
MORRIS/CHOKIO-ALBERTA - 24-45 FG (3-8 3 pt); 4-13 FT; 25 rebounds; 14 fouls ... Scoring: Rachel Strobel 2, Megan Dierks 4, Mackenzie Kontz 5, Kelly Ritter 2, Heather Gagner 9, Brittany Nelson 10, Sara Beyer 2, Courtney Johnson 7, Kelsey Draper 6, Jasmine Henrich 8 ... 3-point shots: Kontz 1, Gagner 1, Nelson 1 ... Rebound leader: Henrich 7 ... Assist leader: Strobel 5 ... Steal leader: Gagner 5
BENSON - 23-59 FG (3-13 3 pt); 4-9 FT; 26 rebounds; 15 fouls ... Scoring: Brittany Holm 12, Emily Ness 9, Courtney Frank 6, Kayla Anderson 6, Abby Fragodt 20 ... 3-point shots: Ness 3 ... Rebound leader: Fragodt 9 ... Assist leader: Keri Mikkelson 7 ... Steal leader: Fragodt 5
LQPV 54, Montevideo 50
The Eagles trailed until 1:41 were left and Micaela Erickson hit a free throw for a 48-47 lead over Montevideo. Mindy Clark and Kala Rheingans each hit a pair of free throws down the stretch as Lac qui Parle Valley sank 25 of 34 for the game (74 percent).
Clark finished with 18 points and seven rebounds and Rheingans with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Melanie Gail added 10 points and four steals.
Montevideo, which led 28-23 at half, got 19 points from Brook Moseng and 12 by Taylor Skoglund.
Montevideo (0-1, 1-2) 28 22 -- 50
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LQPV (1-1, 3-1) 23 31 -- 54
MONTEVIDEO - 16 FG (3 3 pt); 9-14 FT; rebounds, not available; 23 fouls ... Scoring: Kara Nelson 7, Karie Blommel 2, Carrie Johnson 2, Brooke Tastad 3, Brook Moseng 19, Rebekah Schwendemann 6, Taylor Skoglund 11 ... 3-point shots: Moseng 2, Nelson 1 ... Rebound leader: not available ... Assist leader: not available ... Steal leader: not available
LAC QUI PARLE VALLEY - 13-52 FG (3-12 3 pt); 2534 FT; 37 rebounds; 20 fouls ... Scoring: Melanie Gail 10, Micaela Erickson 1, Mindy Clark 18, Madeline Gail 6, Kala Rheingans 14, Andi Rheingans 3, Whitley Strei 1 ... 3-point shots: Melanie Gail 2, Clark 1 ... Rebound leader: K. Rheingans 10, Clark 7... Assist leader: Melanie Gail 3, Clark 3 ... Steal leader: Melanie Gail 4
KMS 64, CMCS 42
Esther Peterson scored 14 of her game-high 20 points in the second half and also had nine rebounds and three steals as KMS won its season opener.
Patina Queenan added 13 points and Sarah Carlson 11.
For CMCS (0-1, 1-2), Brianna Wubben had 10 points, seven rebounds and four steals and Jennifer Blom had nine points and three asssits.
KMS (1-0, 1-0) 29 35 -- 64
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CMCS (0-1, 1-2) 21 21 -- 42
KERKHOVEN-MURDOCK-SUNBURG - 29-60 FG (1-4 3-pt); 5-9 FT; 31 rebounds; 25 fouls ... Scoring: Sarah Laughlin 1, Jasmine Bredeson 2, Esther Peterson 20, Nikki Viss 8, Sarah Carlson 11, Demi Young 2, Patina Queenan 13, Stephanie Stassen 7 ... 3-point shots: Carlson 1 ... Rebound leaders: Peterson 9, Stassen 9 ... Assist leader: Stassen 3 ... Steal leaders: Stassen 3, Peterson 3
CENTRAL MINNESOTA CHRISTIAN - 13-56 FG (0-0 3-pt); 16-29 FT; 28 rebounds; 10 fouls ... Scoring: Jennifer Blom 9, Tara Frikke 1, Abbey Tebben 2, Cassie Ulferts 2, Kari Mulder 6, Briana Wubben 10, Andrea Westby 12 ... 3-point shots: none ... Rebound leaders: Wubben 7, Westby 6, Blom 6 ... Assist leader: Blom 3 ... Steal leader: Wubben 4
