MANKATO – The Fairmont Cardinals boys basketball team rallied to outscore the Class 2A, No. 19-ranked St. Croix Lutheran Crusaders, 26-18, during the final 18 minutes of Tuesday night’s first-round game of the Pepsi/Bethany Lutheran College Holiday Invitational in Mankato.

Unfortunately for the Cardinals, junior guard Jack Kuckhahn scored a co-game-best 17 points, and junior forward Adam Arroyo chipped in 13 points to help St. Croix Lutheran fend off Fairmont, 50-42, at Younge Gym.

Fairmont (1-5) faces the Le Sueur-Henderson Giants (1-7) in one of the holiday tournament’s consolation semifinal games at 6 p.m. tonight back at Younge Gym.

The Class 2A, No. 16-ranked New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva Panthers coasted to a 76-52 opening-round triumph over Le Sueur-Henderson on Tuesday night in Mankato.

New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva (6-0) takes on St. Croix Lutheran (4-3) at 6:30 p.m. tonight in one of the eight-team invite’s championship semifinals in the North Gym on the Bethany Lutheran College campus.

The Crusaders built a 32-16 halftime advantage over the Cardinals before head coach Jared Thompson’s lineup assembled a second-half comeback that whittled its deficit under double figures.

Junior post player Derek Missling produced a co-game-leading 17 points to help ignite Fairmont’s second-half rally.

Senior center Walker Tordsen neared double-double territory by scoring eight points to complement garnering eight rebounds for the Cardinals.

Junior guard Nate Kallenbach contributed seven points, distributed three assists and pocketed three steals for Fairmont.

The Cardinals connected on 11 of 15 free throws for 73.3 percent, made 11 of 31 shots from 2-point territory for 35.5 percent and sank 3 of 11 attempts from behind the 3-point arc for 27.3 percent on the game.

St. Croix Lutheran sank 9 of 14 free throws for 64.3 percent, connected on 13 of 23 shots from 2-point range for 56.5 percent and added 5-for-22 shooting from behind the 3-point line for 22.7 percent.

In the other half of the Pepsi/BLC Holiday Invitational, Class 1A, No. 19-ranked Minnesota Valley Lutheran flattened St. Clair, 77-47, while Class 2A, No. 19-rated Maple River downed Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial, 65-49.

MVL (6-1) plays Maple River (6-2) at 8:30 p.m. tonight, while St. Clair (3-3) faces LCWM (2-5) at 8 p.m.