WILLMAR -- A tough stretch in the first half made a comeback difficult for the Ridgewater women's basketball team.
The Warriors fell behind 15 points at halftime and, despite a rally in the second, lost 67-49 to the St. Benedict junior varsity in their season-opener Tuesday night at Ridgewater.
"We have a lot to learn," said head coach Carrie Ogdahl, who has seven freshmen and just two sophomores on her 2011-2012 team. "It's a lot of different players, a lot of them playing their first college game. I don't think they're used to the speed and how much more physical the college game is."
Shantel Kelly and Annie Winter, both first-year players, led the Warriors with 12 points apiece. Kelly, a 5-foot-9 wing from Willmar, also had 7 rebounds.
Sophomore Hannah Smith just started playing after lead the Warriors' volleyball team to a second-straight national championship. She scored 9 points.
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The Lady Warriors had only one field after eight minutes -- a 15-footer from the key by Kelly -- and trailed 12-3. Winter made two layups to make it 12-7 but the Blazers went on a 15-2 run for a 27-9 lead with 5 minutes left in the half. The Blazers JV led 30-15 at halftime.
The Warriors will have to play a different game this season, with just one player measuring taller than 5-8.
"I'm used to having a couple of big girls who can pound it inside," Ogdahl said. "We don't have that this year. We'll have to find scoring from some other positions."
The Warriors also tired during the game, a product of Ogdahl having to spend so much time teaching, she said.
"We're out of shape," Ogdahl said. "We've spent so much time learning with a young team that we haven't done as much conditioning."
Beka Schwendemann of Montevideo led the Blazers JV with 16 points and Jordan Falk scored 15.
"They're a good team but I don't think they're 18 points better," Ogdahl said. "We'll get better."
CSB JV 67,
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Ridgewater 49
St. Ben's JV 30 37-- 67
Ridgewater 15 34-- 49
ST. BENEDICT JV - 23-59 FG (5-19 3-pt); 16-22 FT; 39 rebounds; 18 fouls ... Scoring: Jen Ulvelling 2, Marisa Amacher 3, Karly Knutson 6, Abby Hendricks 8, Beka Schwendemann 16, Molly Muntifering 9, Jordan Falk 15, Katie Cocca 2, Amber Stavig 6 ... 3-point shots: Ulvelling 0-2, Amacher 1-5, Hendricks 1-3, Schwendemann 1-2, Falk 2-6, Cocca 0-1 ... Rebound leaders: Stavid 6, Munifering 6 ... Assist leaders: Amacher 5, Falk 4 ... Steal leaders: Falk 4, Ulvelling 3
RIDGEWATER - 18-50 FG (3-14 3-pt); 10-16 FT; 39 rebounds; 15 fouls ... Scoring: Hannah Smith 3-10 2-4 9, Lynsey 2-2 0-0 4, Bobbie Jo Deal 0-1 0-0 0, Mikell Melius 0-2 0-0 0, Annie Winter 5-11 0-1 12, Cameo McNeley 2-8 0-1 4, Shantel Kelly 4-7 4-5 12, Alicia Koenen 1-4 1-2 3, Bobbie Uecker 1-5 3-3 5 ... 3-point shots: Smith 1-3, Deal 0-1, Melius 0-2, Winter 2-7, Koenen 0-1 ... Rebound leaders: Uecker 8, Kelly 7, McNeley 5, Runke 5 ... Assist leaders: Runke 3, Deal 2 ... Steal leaders: Runke 4
