Girls Basketball: Willmar suffers first loss

WILLMAR - They say all good things must come to an end.

The Willmar girls basketball team had done its best to prove that statement wrong through its first 15 games, but its did undefeated record come to an end on Tuesday night.

Alexandria erased a nine-point second-half deficit and fought through a physical contest to down No. 3 Willmar 55-51 in a Central Lakes Conference contest at Willmar High School.

"It was a great battle by two really good teams tonight," Willmar head coach Dustin Carlson said.

The teams were tied at 20 at halftime, but the host Cardinals rattled off a 15-3 run early in the second half to take a 35-26 lead.

Thanks in large part to solid post play and sound free throw shooting, Alexandria (11-3) clawed back, using a 16-4 run of their own to take a five-point lead with just under five minutes to play.

There was no shortage of fouls in the Big Red Gym on the night, with the two sides being whistled for a combined 39 infractions. Both teams were in the double bonus at the eight-minute mark of the second half.

"We didn't adjust our defense with all the fouls," Carlson said. "That was on me. We kept putting them at the free throw line, which won them the game."

Alexandria shot 24-for-31 at the free throw line, including a pair of free throws by Emily Jones to take a four-point lead and ice the game with 7.3 seconds remaining.

Willmar went to the line nearly as much, but shot just 18-for-29 from the stripe.

Cayle Hovland had 14 points to lead Willmar, but sat on the bench for around eight minutes in the second half after taking hard contact from an Alexandria double team.

While she was recovering, Alexandria made its run.

Willmar drew within one point at 50-49 on a Carly Wedel layup with 1:17 to play, but Alexandria hit a pair of free throws on the other end and an offensive turnover seconds later put the home side in a tough spot.

Willmar struggled from the floor throughout, shooting just 29.6 percent, but forced 24 turnovers with its defensive pressure to stay afloat despite Alexandria shooting 45.2 percent.

"Our girls really battled hard and there's nothing to be mad about," Carlson said. "15-1 overall is nothing to shake a stick at."

A chance to rebound will present itself on Thursday night for Willmar as it travels to face Sartell-St. Stephen in another tough CLC game.

Alexandria 55, Willmar 51

Alexandria (11-3) 20 35 - 55

Willmar (15-1) 20 31 - 51

ALEXANDRIA - Scoring: Kaye Paschka 6, Mia McGrane 1, Ella Grove 8, Emma Schmidt 3, Courtney Gould 13, McKenzie Duwenhoegger 8, Emily Jones 13, Alayna Strand 3 ... 3-point shots: Grove 1, Schmidt 1, Jones 1 ... Rebound leader: ... Assist leader: NA ... Steal leader: NA

WILLMAR - Scoring: Abby Berskow 5, Carly Magnuson 1, Sadie Raitz 4, Jordyn 7, Madi Linbo 2, Hannah Johnson 12, Cayle Hovland 14, Carly Wedel 6 ... 3-point shots: Swoboda 1 ... Rebound leader: Wedel 7, Hovland 5 ... Assist leader: Berskow 2 ... Steal leader: Johnson 4

NLS 61, Litchfield 54

New London-Spicer came away with a big Section 3AA and Wright County Conference win over Litchfield on Tuesday night.

Shea Oman led the way for the Wildcats with 19 points while Ava Kraemer had a strong game with 10 points and 16 rebounds.

Laney Huhner led all scorers with 20 points for the Dragons.

NLS (12-5) 20 41 - 61

Litchfield (10-7) 15 39 - 54

NEW LONDON-SPICER - Scoring: Shea Oman 19, Mackenzie Rich 14, Emma Hanson 7, Grace DeSchepper 3, Ava Kraemer 10, Erin Knisley 8 ... 3-point shots: Oman 1, Rich 2, Hanson 1 ... Rebound leader: Kraemer 16, Hanson 6, Knisley 6 ... Assist leader: Rich 4, Oman 4 ... Steal leader: Hanson 5, Payton Mages 4, Oman 3

LITCHFIELD - Scoring: Janessa Olson 8, Laney Huhner 20, Kamri Driver 9, Maddy Shoultz 3, Sydney McCann 6, Neriah Lara 3, Katelyn Cruze 5 ... 3-point shots: Driver 3, Shoultz 1, Lara 1 ... Rebound leader: McCann 13 ... Assist leader: McCann 7 ... Steal leader: Huhner 3

BOLD 58, MACCRAY 46

Makenna Steffel scored 17 points, Taylor Sagedahl had 14 and Makayla Snow finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds to lead BOLD to a non-conference win over MACCRAY on Tuesday.

Steffel, Sagedahl and Brenna Weis all had six rebounds, Sagedahl had six assists and Snow and Steffel both had four steals.

MACCRAY's Piper Asche finished with a double-double, scoring 16 points and and grabbing 10 rebounds. Sage Mecker had nine points, Sydney Schwitters had eight points and six rebounds and Ellie Thein had six points, three assists and two steals.

MACCRAY (9-9) 18 28 - 46

BOLD (16-3) 22 36 - 58

MACCRAY - Scoring: Piper Asche 16, Sage Mecker 9, Sydney Schwitters 8, Ellie Thein 6, Olivia Ruiter 4, Danni Burns 3 ... 3-point shots: Asche 2, Mecker 3, Burns 1 ... Rebound leader: Asche 10, Thein 6, Schwitters 6, Gabby Randt 5 ... Assist leader: Thein 3, Randt 2, Ruiter 2 ... Steal leader: Thein 2

BOLD - Scoring: Makenna Steffel 17, Taylor Sagedahl 14, Makayla Snow 11, Ashley Trongard 6, Morgan Schmitz 5, Brenna Weis 3, Abby Sigurdson 2 ... 3-point shots: Sagedahl 2, Snow 1, Schmitz 1 ... Rebound leader: Snow 10, Steffel 6, Sagedahl 6, Weis 6 ... Assist leader: Sagedahl 6, Snow 4, Sigurdson 4 ... Steal leader: Snow 4, Steffel 4

Sauk Centre 81,

Montevideo 31

Sauk Centre moved to 16-0 with a victory over Montevideo on Tuesday.

Tori Peschel ledall scorers with 20 points and Kenzie Schmiesing followed with 13 points of her own.

The T-Hawks will get back to the court Friday with a visit to Benson to take on the Braves.

Sauk Centre (16-0) 52 29 - 81

Montevideo (4-10) 12 19 - 31

SAUK CENTRE - Scoring: Miranda Middendorf 2, Kelsey Peschel 10, Kenzie Schmiesing 13, Megan Klaphake 8, Tori Peschel 20, Maesyn Thiesen 7, Emily Gapinski 4, Jackie Middendorf 2, Julia Dammann 6, Kayle Trisko 5, Michaela Dammann 4 ... 3-point shots: K Peschel 3, Schmiesing 2, Klaphake 1, T Peschel 1, Thiesen 1 ... Rebound leader: NA ... Assist leader: NA ... Steal leader: NA

MONTEVIDEO - Scoring: Emmy Enevoldsen 9, Madalyn Kilbarda 2, Kari Fragodt 2, Jasmyn Kronback 6, Livia Gades 1, Greta Rongstad 2, Sydney Zindel 2, Avery Koenen 2, Kenley Epema 3, Kori Douglas 2 ... 3-point shots: Enevoldsen 1, Kronback 1, Epema 1 ... Rebound leader: Gades 5, Kronback 5 ... Assist leader: Kilibarda 2 ... Steal leader: Zindel 3

Melrose 58, Benson 25

Makiya Luetmer scored 20 points for Melrose as the Dutch went on to beat Melrose on Tuesday.

Kaitlyn Berreau had a team-high 10 points for Benson.

Benson (2-15) 12 13 - 25

Melrose (8-10) 28 30 - 58

BENSON - Scoring: Kaitlyn Berreau 10, Abbie Mitteness 3, Claire Ricard 7, Hannah Andrews 3, Jenna Smith 2 ... 3-point shots: Berreau 1, Mitteness 1 ... Rebound leader: Grace Lee 5 ... Assist leader: Five players with one ... Steal leader: Berreau 2, Ricard 2

MELROSE - Scoring: Cassie Klaphake 7, Sydney Straka 2, Ashley Rademacher 6, Mia Meyer 12, Whitney Austin 4, Kinsey Wensman 3, Makiya Luetmer 20, Courtney Wensman 2, Madison Dufner 2 ... 3-point shots: Klaphake 1, K Wensman 1, Luetmer 2 ... Rebound leader: Luetmer 6, Rademacher 5, Meyer 5 ... Assist leader: Seven players with one ... Steal leader: Luetmer 3

Minneota 67, LQPV 61

Minneota downed Section 3A opponent Lac qui Parle Valley on Tuesday night behind 28 points from Lydia Sussner.

The Vikings led by 10 points at halftime and held on for the win.

Kelsea Lund had 27 points to lead the Eagles while Haley Wollschlager added 12 points.

LQPV (16-3) 27 34 - 61

Minneota (14-3) 37 30 - 67

LAC QUI PARLE VALLEY - Scoring: Haley Wollschlager 12, Kelsea Lund 27, Isabel Schirm 6, Grace Hegland 4, Lindsay Kranz 5, Sidney Gerdes 7... 3-point shots: Lund 3, Wollschlager 2, Schirm 2, Kranz 1, Gerdes 1 ... Rebound leader: Lund 4 ... Assist leader: Gerdes 4 ... Steal leader: Lund 2

MINNEOTA - Scoring: Morgan Kockelman 12, Lizzie Gillingham 10, Morgan Hennen 4, Natalee Rolbiecki 1, Abby Hennen 10, Abby Rost 2, Lydia Sussner 28 ... 3-point shots: Kockelman 2, Gillingham 2 ... Rebound leader: NA ... Assist leader: NA ... Steal leader: NA

TMB 67, RCW 36

Tracy-Milroy-Balaton jumped out to a 41-9 first half lead on the way to a win against Renville County West.

RCW (0-18) 9 27 - 36

TMB (16-1) 41 26 - 67

RENVILLE COUNTY WEST - Scoring: Steph Zaske 4, Sandra Perez 2, Lauren Wulf 1, Emma Rice 8, Aleah Zieske 7, Vanessa Savig 3, Pamela Winzenburg 1, Leslie Gonzalez 5, Lauren Allex 3, Tracie Read 2 ... 3-point shots: Zaske 1, Rice 2, Zieske 1, Savig 1, Gonzalez 1, Allex 1 ... Rebound leader: Wulf 4, Winzenburg 4 ... Assist leader: Savig 3 ... Steal leader: Six players with one

TRACY-MILROY-BALATON - Stats not provided

Lakeview 43, CMCS 34

Lakeview edged Central Minnesota Christian in a defensive Camden Conference battle.

Ellie Greenwaldt led the Bluejays with 12 points as teammate Katelyn Bulthuis finished with seven points and 12 rebounds.

CMCS (3-12) 17 17 - 34

Lakeview (8-11) 22 21 - 43

CENTRAL MINNESOTA CHRISTIAN SCHOOL - Scoring: Reegan Duininck 3, Elli Stoel 2, Ellie Greenwaldt 12, Colette Duininck 10, Katelyn Bulthuis 7 ... 3-point shots: none ... Rebound leader: Bulthuis 12, Stoel 9 ... Assist leader: R Duininck 3 ... Steal leader: C Duininck 4

LAKEVIEW - Stats not provided

Canby 67,

Dawson-Boyd 57

Alyssa Beckius had 18 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four steals to lead Canby over Dawson-Boyd on Tuesday.

The Blackjacks' Alex Sather finished with 23 points, seven rebounds, three assists and four steals and Avery Bartunek had 12 points and six steals. Gionna Parsa had 13 points and Mary Bothun had a team-high eight rebounds.

Canby (5-11) 37 29 - 66

Dawson-Boyd (5-12) 19 38 - 57

CANBY - Scoring: Sarah Hansen 1, Morgan Cleveland 2, Hannah Jelen 7, Kalli Jelen 8, Ahlea Wright 2, Marissa Hansen 2, Kaylee Lappke 5, Alyssa Beckius 18, Norah King 21 ... 3-point shots: H. Jelen 1, K. Jelen 2 ... Rebound leader: Beckius 9, Cleveland 8 ... Assist leader: Beckius 6 ... Steal leader: Beckius 4

DAWSON-BOYD - Scoring: Gionna Parsa 13, Morgan Johnson 2, Mary Bothun 5, Alex Sather 23, Avery Bartunek 12, Olivia Stratmoen 2 ... 3-point shots: Parsa 3, Sather 2 ... Rebound leader: Bothun 8, Sather 7 ... Assist leader: Hannah Stelter 3, Sather 3 ... Steal leader: Bartunek 6, Sather 4

BBE 49, Holdingford 40

Nicole Wesbur scored 13 point and Macie Kirckof scored 12 to lead BBE to a Central Minnesota Conference win over Holdingford on Tuesday.

Wesbur also had eight rebounds and Cassandra Tensen had nine points, two assists and six steals.

Holdingford (9-8) 29 11 - 40

BBE (13-4) 29 20 - 49

HOLDINGFORD - Stats not provided

BBE - Scoring: Cassandra Tensen 9, Jenna Dingmann 6, Morgan Gronli 5, Macie Kirckof 12, Nicole Wesbur 13, Jenna Fischer 2, Kendra Schmitz 2 ... 3-point shots: Tensen 1, Dingmann 2, Gronli 1 ... Rebound leader: Wesbur 8 ... Assist leader: Grace Illies 5, Tensen 2 ... Steal leader: Tensen 6, Kirckof 3, Wesbur 3

SESM 73, BLHS 62

Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart hung with a powerhouse Sleepy Eye St. Mary's squad but fell short on Tuesday night.

Sara Kottke had 16 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Mustangs while Rachel Dean had 13 points and Keegan Hansen added 12 points.

SESM (15-2) 38 35 - 73

BLHS (2-14) 31 31 - 62

SLEEPY EYE-ST. MARY'S - Scoring: Kelsie Kosak 3, Jody Hansen 10, Sydney Windschitl 14, Mallory Helget 12, Cassie Heinrichs 14, Lexie Anderson 2, Madison Mathiowetz 18 ... 3-point shots: Heinrichs 1, Helget 1, Kosak 1 ... Rebound leader: NA ... Assist leader: NA ... Steal leader: NA

BUFFALO LAKE-HECTOR-STEWART - Scoring: Keegan Hansen 12, Kylie Ehlers 8, Chloe Ufkes 8, Tia Weispfennig 2, Jadah Borth 1, Sara Kottke 16, Alyssa Peterson 2, Rachel Dean 13 ... 3-point shots: Hansen 2, Kottke 2, Ufkes 1, Ehlers 1 ... Rebound leader: Kottke 13, Dean 6 ... Assist leader: Kottke 2, Ufkes 2, Ehlers 2 ... Steal leader: Kottke 1, Peterson 1, Dean 1

YME 82, KMS 38

Yellow Medicine East scored 41 points in each half on the way to a big win over KMS.

Kenzie Dyrdahl added 26 points to lead all scorers and teammate Anna McCosh tallied a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds.

Meeghen Dahlager toyed with a triple-double, scoring eight points with eight assists and six steals.

The Sting have a tough battle ahead, taking on Minneota on the road Friday.

KMS (4-14) 18 20 - 38

YME (12-5) 41 41 - 82

VISITOR - Scoring: Katie Krieger 14, Mallory Rudningen 2, Morgan Lesteberg 6, Madison Rohner 8, Maret Gjerde 3, Dacotah Rohner 5 ... 3-point shots: Krieger 3, Lesteberg 2, Gjerde 1 ... Rebound leader: Krieger 4 ... Assist leader: D Rohner 3 ... Steal leader: Krieger 4

YELLOW MEDICINE EAST - Scoring: Kaitlyn Mortensen 15, Anna McCosh 13, Kenzie Dyrdahl 26, Meeghen Dahlager 8, Hannah Gullickson 4, Sam Anderson 2, Lauren McCosh 5, Kaitlyn Mathiowetz 2, Chelsea Niemyer 3, Ally Steffen 2, Shelby Mortensen 2 ... 3-point shots: K Mortensen 3, L McCosh 1, Niemeyer 1 ... Rebound leader: A McCosh 14, Dyrdahl 7 ... Assist leader: Dahlager 8, Anderson 5 ... Steal leader: Dahlager 6, Dyrdahl 5

1/5: Willmar's Hannah Johnson goes up for a shot while being defended by an Alexandria defender on Tuesday night. Curt Hogg / Tribune

2/5: Willmar's Hannah Johnson drives toward the basket during a game against Alexandria on Tuesday night. Curt Hogg / Tribune

3/5: Willmar's Cayle Hovland gathers to go up for a shot while being defended by an Alexandria defender on Tuesday night. Curt Hogg / Tribune

4/5: Willmar's Madi Linbo pulls away from a pair of Alexandria defenders on Tuesday night after corraling a rebound. Curt Hogg / Tribune

5/5: Willmar's Sadie Raitz, middle, battles for a loose ball with a pair of Alexandria defenders on Tuesday. Curt Hogg / Tribune