Area Girls Basketball Roundup: Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa earns a big win over Sauk Centre
Mar. 6—BELGRADE — Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa can cement its claim as a top Class A team after knocking out one of Class AA's best.
Hosting undefeated Sauk Centre on Friday night, the Jaguars survived a defensive slugfest, beating the Mainstreeters in overtime, 44-43.
Sauk Centre is ranked No. 2 in Class AA. BBE is No. 4 in A.
"A slugfest is a great word for it," said Jaguars head coach Kristina Anderson. "Our kids continued to battle tonight against a very tough team."
Both teams struggled to sink shots in the first half. They combined to go 10-for-58 (17.2%) from the field. But the Jaguars went into the locker room up 15-12 thanks to a 3-pointer from Abby Berge and a Karsee Kampsen jumper for the final two buckets of the half.
"The big key was the pressure we put on their guards," Anderson said. "(Being outsized) was different for us but I was really proud of our girls and the pressure they applied."
In the second half, the teams were tied at 19-19 until the Jaguars broke off an eight-point run to go up 27-19. BBE's biggest lead came with 9:41 in regulation with an Allisa Knight putback that made it 33-22.
Down 37-30, Sauk Centre fought back and took a 38-37 lead at 2:36 thanks to a Maddie Nelson 3-pointer at the top of the arc. While BBE didn't hit a field goal in the final 5:31 of regulation, a free throw from Knight tied it at 38-38 with 1:28 left in the second half. A shot at the end of the half by the Mainstreeters' Jenna Gapinski-Vogt was off the mark, sending the game to overtime.
In the final minute of overtime, Sauk Centre held a 43-41 lead until Berge got a steal near midcourt and scored the fastbreak layup to tie it up.
Berge, who missed Thursday's game against Holdingford with the flu, had a Jaguars-best 15 points. She hit three 3-pointers on the night.
"She came out and played a heck of a game without practicing this week," Anderson said. "It shows how hard-nosed a girl she is. She was a big key tonight."
The Mainstreeters' next possession came up short, giving BBE an opportunity to go ahead. A loose ball ended up in Kampsen's hands, where she was fouled on a reach-in with 4.7 seconds left. She hit the first of a one-and-one to put the Jaguars ahead 44-43.
On the inbounds, the game appeared over with a steal by Knight but she was called for traveling, giving Sauk Centre one more possession with 1.2 seconds remaining. Nelson put up a prayer from deep but the shot went long, sealing the Jaguars' win.
"I'm not sure I'm ready to watch that back tonight," Anderson said with a laugh. "Just like our game against Holdingford this week, we were down five with three or four minutes left and came back. We're learning how to close a game against some quality teams."
Allisa Knight finished the game with a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Karissa Jones had a BBE-best three steals as the team came up with 12 swipes.
Now at 14-1, the Jaguars play Eden Valley-Watkins at 7:15 p.m. Monday in Belgrade.
Non-Conference
BBE 44,
Sauk Centre 43 (OT)
Sauk Centre (13-1) 12 26 5 — 43
BBE (14-1) 15 23 6 — 44
SAUK CENTRE — Stats not available
BBE — Scoring: Karsee Kampsen 3, Abby Berge 15, Josie Knutson 5, Harley Roering 4, Allisa Knight 12, Karissa Jones 5 ... 3-point shots: Berge 3, Knutson 1 ... Rebound leader: Knight 10 ... Assist leader: N/A ... Steal leader: Jones 3 ... Block leader: Knight 2
Wright County
NLS 58,
Litchfield 49
Erin Knisley, a 6-foot-2 senior center, had 22 points and 11 rebounds and guard Mackenzie Rich had 14 points to lead New London-Spicer to the victory at New London.
"We had good inside-outside balance I thought, and that's really key for us," NLS head coach Mike Dreier said. "We also rebounded well."
Senior forward Ava Kraemer also contributed 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Wildcats, who are ranked No. 1 in Class AA.
Litchfield trailed 33-27 at halftime.
"They hit the five threes in the first half," Dreier said. "There's a good chance we'll see them in a couple of weeks (in the playoffs)."
Sydney McCann had 14 points and Lily Osterberg added 12 for the Dragons.
NLS is host to Rockford at 7 p.m. Monday. Litchfield plays at 7 p.m. Monday at Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted.
Litchfield (8-6) 27 22 — 49
NLS (16-0) 33 25 — 58
LITCHFIELD — Scoring: Sydney McCann 14, Ryanna Steinhaus 8, Sydney Jackman 3, Lily Osterberg 12, Maggie Boerema 2, Kylie Michels 6, Izzy Pennertz 4 ... 3-point shots: McCann 2, Osterberg 2, Michels 2, Jackman 1 ... Rebound leader: N/A ... Assist leader: N/A ... Steal leader: N/A ... Block leader: N/A
NLS — Scoring: Jaden Coahran 8, Mackenzie Rich 14, Emma Hanson 2, Ava Kraemer 12, Erin Knisley 22 ... 3-point shots: Coahran 2, M. Rich 2... Rebound leaders: Kraemer 13, Knisley 11, Hanson 5 ... Assist leaders: Hanson 7, M. Rich 5, Coahran 4 ... Steal leaders: Coahran 4, M. Rich 2, Avery Rich 2 ... Block leader: Knisley
West Central
Benson 41,
Melrose 36
Host Benson earned the victory by out-scoring Melrose 17-12 in the second half.
The teams were tied at 24 in the first half..
Marley Rush had 10 points and eight rebounds to lead the Braves. She also had four steals and two blocks.
Benson's next game is Thursday at Morris/Chokio-Alberta.
Melrose (3-12) 24 12 — 36
Benson (4-11) 24 17 — 41
MELROSE — Scoring: Avery Van Beck 1, Ivy Kalthoff 2, Molly Kraemer 5, Kyja Birch 2, Audrey Welle 5, Maddie Rosenberger 6, Madi Stusse-Birch 6, Brooke Meyer 9 ... 3-point shots: Kraemer 1, Welle 1, Stusse-Birch 2, Meyer 1 ... Rebound leader: Meyer 6 ... Assist leader: Rosenberger 2 ... Steal leader: Meyer 4 ... Block leader: Birch 1, Welle 1
BENSON — Scoring: Susan Knutson 4, Mya Kurkosky 6, Adysen Himley 6, Madi Wrobleski 3, Marissa Connelly 8, Marley Rush 10, Beth Cain 4 ... 3-point shots: Knutson 1, Kurkosky 2, Himley 1, Wrobleski 1, Connelly 2 ... Rebound leader: Rush 8 ... Assist leader: Five with 1 ... Steal leader: Kurkosky 4, Rush 4 ... Block leader: Rush 2
Camden
Lakeview 58,
YME 47
Lakeview rallied from a halftime deficit to beat Yellow Medicine East at Granite Falls.
The Lakers trailed the Sting 33-27 after the first 18 minutes.
YME has a quick turnaround, playing at 1 p.m. Saturday at Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg.
Lakeview (9-6) 27 31 — 58
YME (2-12) 33 14 — 47
LQPV 65,
KMS 55
Taylor Shelstad had 18 points, 11 rebounds, seven assists and three steals to help Lac qui Parle to the victory over Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg at Madison.
Macie Lund contributed 15 points for the Eagles, who led 37-35 at halftime.
KMS got 21 points from Maret Gjerde and 10 from Hayley Demuth.
LQPV is host to Renville County West on Monday.
KMS (3-11) 35 20 — 55
LQPV (12-2) 37 28 — 65
KMS — Scoring: Grace Collins 2, Maret Gjerde 21, Julia Carlson 9, Josie Gjerde 9, Lauren Krieger 4, Hayley Demuth 10 ... 3-point shots: M. Gjerde 5, J. Gjerde 2, Demuth 2 ... Rebound leader: Collins 6, Krieger 6, Demuth 6 ... Assist leader: J. Gjerde 7 ... Steal leader: M. Gjerde 2 ... Block leader: Carlson 1
LQPV — Scoring: Rylee Lund 4, Macie Lund 15, Addy Bonn 9, Taylor Shelstad 18, Cassidie Olson 3, Tori Bungarden 3, Camryn Lee 5, Alex Stitt 8 ... 3-point shots: R. Lund 1, M. Lund 4, Bonn 3, Shelstad 1 ... Rebound leader: Shelstad 11 ... Assist leader: Shelstad 7 ... Steal leader: Shelstad 3 ... Block leader: M. Lund 1, Shelstad 1, Lee 1
CMCS 66,
RCW 33
Coco Duininck scored 33 points and had 10 steals to lead Central Minnesota Christian to the victory at Renville County West.
Nyssa Vogel had 11 points and five rebounds and Molly Mulder contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Bluejays.
Holly Bratch's seven points and three steals paced the Jaguars.
CMCS is scheduled to host BOLD on Tuesday in Prinsburg.
CMCS (9-7) 38 28 — 66
RCW (3-12) 21 12 — 33
CMCS — Scoring: Maaike Duininck 4, Molly Mulder 10, Lauren Taatjes 8, Coco Duininck 33, Nyssa Vogel 11 ... 3-point shots: C. Duininck 6, Vogel 1 ... Rebound leader: Mulder 10, M. Duininck 6 ... Assist leader: C. Duininck 7, Vogel 5 ... Steal leader: C. Duininck 10, M. Duininck 5 ... Block leader: Mulder 1
RCW — Scoring: Johanna Braun 4, Holly Bratsch 7, Jennifer Bratsch 5, Laila Ridler 5, Emily Lippert 3, Rachel Jakel 6, Hannah Pharr 6 ... 3-point shots: H. Bratsch 1, J. Bratsch 1, Lippert 1 ... Rebound leader: Ridler 8 ... Assist leader: Braun 4 ... Steal leader: Braun 3, J. Bratsch 3 ... Block leader: J. Bratsch 2
