WILLMAR — It was a different venue, but it sure felt like home to the Willmar girls basketball team.
The Cardinals beat Sauk Rapids 70-32 Friday in a Central Lakes Conference game played at Ridgewater College. The rescheduled game was moved to Ridgewater because the Big Red Gym is host to the Section 8AAA individual wrestling tournament Saturday.
Willmar (16-10) concludes its fifth straight regular season with a winning record.
“It was a nice first game out here at the college,” Willmar head coach Dustin Carlson said. “The rims were very kind to us tonight, which made it a lot of fun.
“We needed to play super physical in the post tonight and that’s what we got.”
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Willmar shot 50 percent (27 of 54) from the field. Sauk Rapids shot 26.8 percent (11 of 41).
Mackenzie Jones led the Cardinals with 14 points and Madi Linbo added 10. Jones was 4-for-6 from three-point range and 5-for-9 from the field overall. Linbo was 3-for-6 from the field and 4-for-4 from the foul line.
Sauk Rapids (8-18) had a three-game winning streak end. The Cardinals have beaten the Storm seven straight times, including 61-31 in their last meeting Dec. 7.
Central Lakes
Willmar 72,
Sauk Rapids 30
Sauk Rapids (8-18) 14 16 — 30
Willmar (16-10) 40 32 — 72
SAUK RAPIDS - Scoring: Mackenzie Felchie 6, Grace Roesch 5, Kyanah Evans 4, Noel Reberg 4, Shayna Payonk 5, Mia Rogholt 6 … 3-point shots: Flechie 2, Roesch 1, Evans 1 … Rebound leader: N/A … Assist leader: N/A … Steal leader: N/A ... Block leader: N/A
WILLMAR - Scoring: Sammy Christoffer 4, Ellary Lange 4, Katelyn Murphy 9, Mackenzie Jones 14, Sadie Raitz 8, Callie Slagter 5, Madi Linbo 10, Jaida Reiman 7, Ella Shinn 6, Ashley Prahl 3, Emily Staska 2 … 3-point shots: Lange 1, Jones 4, , Prahl 1 … Rebound leader: Linbo 5 … Assist leader: Murphy 3 … Steal leader: Five with 1 ... Block leader: Reiman 2
Pheasant
Hancock 43,
W/H-N 33
Carlee Hanson’s 15 points led the way as Hancock picked up the Pheasant Conference victory at Wheaton/Herman-Norcross.
Hancock has won its last nine games.
Entering the Section 6A-South bracket as the No. 2 seed, Hancock hosts No. 7 seed Battle Lake in a quarterfinal match-up at 7 p.m. Thursday.
Hancock (19-6) 16 27 — 43
W/H-N (10-14) 10 23 — 33
HANCOCK - Scoring: Carlee Hanson 15, Alexis Staples 10, Rylee Hanson 10, Morgan Kisgen 3, Jordan hausmann 2, Tori Pahl 2, Misti Zempel 1 … 3-point shots: C. Hanson 2, Kisgen 1 … Rebound leader: R. Hanson 8 … Assist leader: N/A … Steal leader: C. Hanson 5 ... Block leader: N/A
WHEATON/HERMAN-NORCROSS - Scoring: Ellissa Rinke 10, Isabelle Schmidt 9, Brylie Schultz 9, Mackenzi Stafford 3, Maycee Tolifson 2 … 3-point shots: Stafford 1 … Rebound leader: N/A … Assist leader: N/A … Steal leader: N/A ... Block leader: N/A
