WILLMAR -- The Willmar Cardinals lost their fifth straight game on Tuesday, falling to Brainerd 60-42 in a Central Lakes Conference girls basketball.
Brainerd returned all five starters from a year ago when the Warriors finished second to St. Cloud Tech in the Central Lakes Conference.
Willmar couldn't counter the size and strong inside play of Brainerd's Megan Bates and Karlye Barron, both 6-foot seniors who combined for 28 points.
Willmar post Jena Thompson, a 5-11 senior, couldn't find much daylight and finished with only a second-half basket plus five rebounds.
That met bombs away for Willmar. But the Cardinals made just 6 of 21 three-point attempts and trailed by double digits from early in the game.
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"Brainerd has big, physical posts," said Willmar coach Brad Atchison. "Jena really battled but Brainerd is a good squad. I thought our kids battled hard. We had a chance to get it under 10 several times but missed the three."
For Willmar Kelsey Evans scored 12 points, Briana Goldschmidt 10 and Mariel Aamot seven.
The veteran Brainerd starters accounted for 55 of the team's 60 points, inncludingt Emily Thesing with 14 and Kayla Huether with nine.
Brainerd 60, Willmar 42
Brainerd (4-1, 4-1) 31 29 -- 60
Willmar (1-4, 2-5) 17 25 -- 42
BRAINERD - 23-45 FG (5-12); 10-19 FT; 34 rebounds; 14 fouls ... Scoring: Steph Neugebauer 4, Kayla Huether 9, Megan Bates 13, Emily Thesing 14, Jessie Marolt 3, Nikki Graumann 2, Karlye Barron 15 ... 3-point shots: Huether 1, Bates 1, Thesing 1, Marolt 1 ... Rebound leaders: Barron 12, Bates 10, Neugebauer 5 ... Assist leaders: Bates 3, Thesing 4 ... Steal leaders: Huether 2, Neugebauer 2, Bates 2
WILLMAR - 15-44 FG (6-21 3-pt); 8-10 FT; 23 rebounds; 18 fouls ... Scoring: Kelsey Evans 12, Megan Brown 3, Mariel Aamot 7, Emily Nelsen 2, Briana Goldschmidt 10, Hannah Murphy 1, Greta King 5, Jena Thompson 2 ... 3-point shots: Brown 1, Evans 2, Aamot 1, Goldschmidt 1, King 1 ... Rebound leaders: Thompson 6, Goldschmidt 5, Evans 4 ... Assist leaders: Brown 3, Goldschmidt 2... Steal leaders: Aamot 3
