New Ulm hoopsters top Fairmont

Batt pours in 29 points for Eagles; Crissinger tallies 25 points for FHS

FAIRMONT -- Minnesota Rise AAU girls basketball teammates squared off in an individual shootout during Thursday night's Big South Conference clash at Cardinal Gym in Fairmont.

Fairmont junior forward Taylor Crissinger poured in a season-best 25 points, but New Ulm point guard Joey Batt scorched the nylon nets for a game-high 29 points to guide the visiting Eagles to a 70-48 victory over the Cardinals in Fairmont.

"For a second straight game, we didn't get off to a good start in the first half, but were able to pick up the pace in the second," said New Ulm head coach Brian Batt, whose lineup was short-handed due to senior forward Morgan Eikanger's illness and sophomore center Olivia Wick's broken finger.

Trailing 17-10 on the heels of Lizzie Shaul's 3-pointer and Nora Windschill's low-post lay-in off one of Joey Batt's game-best five assists, Crissinger delivered five of the Cardinals' ensuing 7-0 run to knot the score.

Brenna Cutler banked home a baseline leaner off one of Brooke Hunwardsen's three assists before Crissinger sank two free throws, cashed in Claire Cutler's unique baseline-angled assist and added a solo charity toss to fuel Fairmont's surge.

"I thought we battled for the first half, and was pleased that we handled their (the Eagles') pressure," said Fairmont head coach Sara Junkermeier. "Odd as it sounds, I thought the game was much closer than the final score indicated. Somewhere in the second half, the game just got away from us."

Crissinger carried the Cardinals' offensive load on her broad shoulders, delivering 20 of the home team's 28 points to trail by only five at intermission.

"TC played a nice overall game tonight for Fairmont," Brian Batt said in reference to Crissinger, his daughter's summertime hoops teammate.

Alli Lardy, who experienced early first-half foul difficulty, and Crissinger combined forces to help the Cardinals offset the offensive output generated by Joey Batt and Eagle teammate Ellie Bute during the first 9 minutes of the second half.

Lardy's putback basket inched Fairmont within 51-42 midway through the segment before Batt drained the final four of her perfect 6-for-6 shooting performance from the field during the second half.

Bute spotted Lizzie Shaul for her second 3 of the contest before Batt garnered one of her game-leading seven steals, drove the distance and swooshed a pull-up trey.

Iyanna Wieland then scored two of her eight points on a runner through traffic before the slashing Batt floated home a 6-footer via a cross-over move in the lane.

Crissinger later executed a perfect pick-and-roll play with junior guard Lexi Lunn for her 24th and 25th points, but it was not enough during the final 5 minutes of regulation.

Wieland pulled down a game-best 10 rebounds for New Ulm, while Crissinger hauled in a team-high nine boards for Fairmont.

Fairmont (10-12) travels to Waterville on Saturday for a 4 p.m. non-league game against Waterville-Elysian-Morristown.

New Ulm (17-5) plays host to Marshall on Tuesday in another Big South contest.

New Ulm 33-37--70

Fairmont 28-20--48

FAIRMONT (48)

Hunwardsen 0-0 2-8 2, Murphy 0-3 0-2 0, Lardy 4-6 0-0 8, Lunn 1-4 1-2 4, Crissinger 10-15 4-8 25, B. Cutler 1-5 1-2 3, C. Cutler 1-3 1-2 3, Miller 1-1 1-1 3, Tonder 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 18-40 10-25 48.

NEW ULM (70)

Osborne 1-6 1-2 3, Bute 4-10 0-2 11, Wieland 2-8 4-6 8, Botten 1-2 4-5 6, Batt 10-14 6-8 29, Shaul 2-5 0-0 6, Windschill 1-1 0-0 2, Ahlers 1-1 0-0 2, Vogel 0-0 2-2 2, Mages 0-0 1-2 1. Totals 22-47 18-27 70.

3-pointers: New Ulm 8-21 (Bute 3-8, Batt 3-5, Shaul 2-3, Wieland 0-5); Fairmont 2-6 (Crissinger 1-1, Lunn 1-2, Totzke 0-2, B. Cutler 0-1). Fouled out: Lardy. Rebounds: Fairmont 35 (Crissinger 9, C. Cutler 6); New Ulm 24 (Wieland 10). Assists: Fairmont 14 (Lunn and B. Cutler 4 each); New Ulm 9 (Batt 5). Steals: New Ulm 13 (Batt 7); Fairmont 1.

Jen Moeller scored six points to pace a balance attack as Fairmont rallied for a 29-20 victory over New Ulm during B-squad action Thursday night.

Bryn Miller netted five points for the Cardinals, while Natalie Tonne and Abby Tonder contributed four points apiece.