SARTELL - A close game became a blowout when the Willmar girls basketball team allowed Sartell just seven second-half points in a 50-31 Central Lakes Conference win on Tuesday.
Willmar played tough but lost to Alexandria on Monday, coming back from double-digit deficits several times before falling short.
Against Sartell, the Cardinals were determined press their advantage and negate the need for more comebacks.
The Cardinals held a 27-24 lead at halftime but clamped down on the Sabres after the break.
"We were lights out defense in the second half tonight," said Willmar head coach Dustin Carlson. " We rebounded so well and looked to use the fast break every time out of those rebounds."
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Grace Marti hit three 3-pointers and scored 11 points, as did Hannah Johnson. Johnson also had a pair of assists and three steals.
Jordyn Swoboda had nine points and while Heidi Sellmann scored just two points she grabbed a team-best 14 rebounds. Cayle Hovland had five points and nine boards.
"Heidi (Sellmann) rebounded really well and numerous girls stepped up scoring tonight," Carlson said. "We held them scoreless until the 7:40 mark in the second half. Grace Marti shot the ball really well tonight."
Willmar 50, Sartell 31
Willmar 27 23 - 50
Sartell 24 7 - 31
WILLMAR - Scoring: Abby Berskow 2, Grace Sawyer 1, Kayla Rudie 3, Grace Marti 11, Jordyn Swoboda 9, Hannah Johnson 11, Cayle Hovland 5, Carly Wedel 6, Heidi Sellmann 2 ... 3-point shots: Marti 3 ... Rebound leader: Sellmann 14, Hovland 9 ... Assist leader: Johnson 2 ... Steal leader: Johnson 3
SARTELL - Scoring: Addison DeMaine 5, Emily Driste 4, Madalyn Schnettler 2, Alexis Winter 5, Megan Sieben 11, Meleah Gunderson 4 ... 3-point shots: DeMaine 1, Winter 1, Sieben 2
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BBE 45, Parkers Prairie 24
Nicole Wesbur notched a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds and Macie Kirkof had nine points, two assists and four steals in BBE's win over Parkers Prairie on Tuesday.
The Jaguars' Hailey Braegelman had eight points and four steals and Morgan Gronli scored six points.
BBE 19 26 - 45
Parkers Prairie 11 13 - 24
BBE - Scoring: Cassandra Tensen 2, Morgan Gronli 6, Macie Kirkof 9, Nicole Wesbur 11, Jenna Fischer 5, Hailey Braegelman 8, Kendra Schmitz 2, Ally Gruber 2 ... 3-point shots: Fischer 1 ... Rebound leader: Wesbur 10, Tensen 5 ... Assist leader: Kirkof 2 ... Steal leader: Kirkof 4, Braegelman 4
PARKERS PRAIRIE - Stats not provided
Minnewaska 78, Melrose 42
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Abby VerSteeg scored 22 points with six three pointers as Minnewaska breezed by Melrose Tuesday night.
Teammates Bayley Pooler and Carley Stewart were also feeling the scoring touch with 18 and 16 points respectively. VerSteeg and Stewart each pulled in seven rebounds as well and Stewart made it a trifecta with seven assists.
The Lakers will travel to Olivia on Friday to take on BOLD.
Minnewaska 33 45 - 78
Melrose 14 28 - 42
MINNEWASKA - Scoring: Ellie Danielson 7, Kendra Kuczek 2, Bayley Pooler 18, Taylor Amundson 2, Abby VerSteeg 22, Emma Thorfinnson 7, Anna Vold 2, Carley Stewart 16, Ashlyn Guggisberg 2 ... 3-point shots: Pooler 3, VerSteeg 6, Thorfinnson 1, Stewart 2 ... Rebound leader: VerSteeg 7, Stewart 7, Pooler 5 ... Assist leader: Stewart 7, Guggisgberg 5 ... Steal leader: Thorfinnson 3
MELROSE - Scoring: Gabby Graves 9, Cassie Klaphake 3, Ashley Rademacher 4, Maci Blommel 13, Whitney Austing 4, Makiya Luetmer 6, Holley Hellermann 3 ... 3-point shots: Graves 1, Klaphake 1, Blommel 1, Austing 1 ... Rebound leader: NA ... Assist leader: NA ... Steal leader: NA
Sauk Centre 72, BOLD 47
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Jill Klaphake took over for 25 points and Sauk Centre kept BOLD's Makenna Steffel relatively quiet in a strong win Tuesday night.
The Mainstreeters dominated the boards with 10 rebounds from Tori Peschel and Maesyn Thiesen. Thiesen also scored 19 points.
Steffel was the scoring leader for the Warriors. She finished with 14 points.
BOLD 30 17 - 47
Sauk Centre 41 31 - 72
BOLD - Scoring: Makenna Steffel 14, Morgan Flann 13, Makayla Snow 6, Taylor Sagedahl 5, Emily Gass 5, Abby Sigurdson 4 ... 3-point shots: Flann 3, Sagedahl 1, Gass 1
SAUK CENTRE - Scoring: Kelsey Peschel 8, Kenzie Schmiesing 3, Jill Klaphake 25, Tori Peschel 10, Maesyn Thiesen 19, Morgan Kranz 5, Julia Dammann 2 ... 3-point shots: K. Peschel 1, Klaphake 1, Thiesen 3, Kranz 1 ... Rebound leader: T. Peschel 10, Thiesen 10 ... Assist leader: Thiesen 6 ... Steal leader: Thiesen 3
LQPV 42, KMS 40
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Lac qui Parle Valley held on for a close victory over KMS Tuesday night. The Eagles led 23-21 going into the locker rooms and that was the difference in the game.
KMS' Samantha Gjerde led all scorers with 19 points but her team fell just short as the Eagles put together a balanced offensive attack. Grace Hegland was the leading scorer for LQPV with 13 points. She was one of nine Eagles to record a point. She also pulled in a game-high 12 rebounds.
KMS 21 19 - 40
LQPV (9-4, 7-2) 23 19 - 42
KMS - Scoring: Katie Krieger 4, Alexis Lamecker 4, Mallory Rudningen 1, Morgan Lesteberg 3, Samantha Gjerde 19, Madison Rohner 4, Molly Jeppesen 5 ... 3-point shots: Gjerde 4 ... Rebound leader: Krieger 7 ... Assist leader: NA ... Steal leader: NA
LQPV - Scoring: Haley Wollschlager 2, Isabel Schirm 2, Grace Hegland 13, Lindsay Kranz 4, Macie Lund 2, Hallie Wilson 2, Sidney Gerdes 9, Katlyn Gades 6, Taniah Tosel 2 ... 3-point shots: Lund 1, Gerdes 1 ... Rebound leader: Hegland 12, Kranz 8 ... Assist leader: Schirm 4, Lund 3 ... Steal leader: Wollschlager 3
Litchfield 58, Annandale 54
Kyndra Beavers scored 23 points and had four assists and three steals in Litchfield's Wright County Conference win on Tuesday.
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Macy Huhner scored 13 points and had six rebounds and Hallie Euerle scored 11.
The Dragons are off until traveling to play at New London-Spicer at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Litchfield 32 26 - 58
Annandale 25 29 - 54
LITCHFIELD - Scoring: Kyndra Beavers 23, Laney Huhner 3, Macy Huhner 13, Sydney McCann 2, Brynne Wahl 6, Hallie Euerle 11 ... 3-point shots: Beavers 4, M. Huhner 1, L. Huhner 1 ... Rebound leader: M. Huhner 6 ... Assist leader: Beavers 4, L. Huhner 4 ... Steal leader: Beavers 3, McCann 3
ANNANDALE - Scoring: Erin Miller 5, Hannah Purcell 17, Gabby Lindquist 3, Taylor Medvec 5, Kamryn D'Heilly 13, Allie Spaulding 11 ... 3-point shots: Miller 1, Purcell 2, Lindquist 1, Medvec 1
Montevideo 67, ACGC 60
Abby Olson logged a strong night with 23 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists and four steals in a close win over ACGC.
Teammate Molly Reeves did her fair share as well, scoring 13 points with 11 rebounds.
ACGC brought out a more balanced attack with 16 points from Kendra Miller along with 10 from Anna Grimsgard, Madison Denton and Lindsay Minnick.
ACGC 27 33 - 60
Montevideo 37 30 - 67
ACGC - Scoring: Anna Grimsgard 10, Maree Lee 5, Kendra Miller 16, Addison Bernstein 5, Haley Wilner 4, Madison Denton 10, Lindsay Minnick 10 ... 3-point shots: Lee 1, Miller 2, Bernstein 1, Denton 1, Minnick 1 ... Rebound leader: Miller 6, Bernstein 6, Minnick 5 ... Assist leader: Miller 2 ... Steal leader: Grimsgard 2
MONTEVIDEO - Scoring: Molly Reeves 13, Abby Olson 23, Sarah Suflow 8, Kaylee Glomstad 5, Ashley McKee 16, Kamren Saue 2 ... 3-point shots: Olson 1 ... Rebound leader: Olson 13, McKee 11, Suflow 7 ... Assist leader: Olson 8, Reeves 4 ... Steal leader: Olson 4
New Ulm Cathedral 51, BLHS 40
Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart couldn't sustain its first-half momentum in a Tomahawk Conference loss on Tuesday.
The Mustanges led by two at halftime but scored just 15 points after the break.
Alaina Leske led the Mustangs with 16 points and 11 rebounds and Sara Kottke had a team-high 14 rebounds.
NU Cathedral 23 28 - 51
BLHS 25 15 - 40
NEW ULM CATHEDRAL - Scoring: Jenna Helget 4, McKenna Berdan 4, Rose Hazuka 10, Lauryn Franta 4, Becca Schwarz 10, Nicole Gangelhoff 17, Josie Pautzke 2 ... 3-point shots: Berdan 1, Hazuka 1, Gangelhoff 1
BUFFALO LAKE-HECTOR/STEWART - Scoring: Keegan Hanson 7, Alaina Leske 16, Anna Buboltz 6, Maddy Ehlers 2, Alyssa Petersen 2, Rachel Dean 5, Sara Kottke 2 ... 3-point shots: None ... Rebound leader: Kottke 14, Leske 11... Assist leader: Ehlers 2
Wabasso 70, D-B 31
Wabasso overpowered Dawson-Boyd in a Camden Conference game on Tuesday in Wabasso.
Dawson-Boyd's Alex Sather scored 17 points and had seven rebounds and four steals.
Dawson-Boyd 20 11 - 31
Wabasso 42 28 - 70
DAWSON-BOYD - Scoring: Hannah Stelter 4, Kaitlyn Willander 4, Mary Bothun 4, Alex Sather 17, Avery Bartunek 2 ... 3-point shots: Stelter 1 ... Rebound leader: Sather 7, Bothun 5 ... Assist leader: Four with 1 ... Steal leader: Sather 4, Bothun 3
WABASSO - Scoring: Jenna Frank 15, Madison Guetter 13, Kayla Jenniges 2, Gina Goblirsch 9, Alison Benz 20, Megan Rothmeier 3, Emily Benz 4, Lindsey Bernardy 2, Allison Fenger 2 ... 3-point shots: Frank 4, Goblirsch 3, Rothmeier 1 ... Rebound leader: Guetter 9 ... Assist leader: Bernardy 6 ... Steal leader: E. Benz 3
