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Mavericks pick-pocket Cardinals, 44-25

FAIRMONT — The Martin County West Mavericks girls basketball team literally stole its nonconference game from the Fairmont Cardinals on Friday night at Cardinal Gym.

Cheyenne Owens pocketed a game-best six steals to pace the Mavericks’ 16-4 edge in that statistical category, while teammate Alyssa Williamson poured in a game-best 20 points to power a 44-25 triumph over the Cardinals.

“Our defense set the early tone,” said Martin County West head coach Rodger Taylor, whose lineup posted a plus-8 — 14-22 — in the turnover department.

“We (coaching staff) told our girls that they (the Mavericks) dictated the pace of the game, and we weren’t able to change that no matter what we tried,” said Fairmont head coach Sara Junkermeier.

The quick-handed Owens pick-pocketed the Cardinals during their first three possessions of the contest to help trigger the Mavericks’ mini-stampede of 7-0 before Fairmont finally got on the scoreboard with 12:30 remaining in the initial 18-minute half.

Madison Klima threaded two of her game-best five assists to Samantha Meyer for a cutter to the low post and to Williamson for a left-wing runner before Meyer traded roles and fed Owens for a 6-footer in the paint.

Freshman post player Cadence Becker finally snapped Fairmont’s offensive drought with a low-post leaner off one of Taylor Crissinger’s three assists.

Williamson, who made 8 of 13 field goals, later hit a baseline drive before Klima spotted Marissa Whitehead for another cutter in traffic to widen MCW’s margin to 13-4.

Crissinger, however, tossed in a left-handed leaner off a Lexi Lunn assist before Faith Olson swooshed a right-wing 3-pointer off Madysen Allen’s pass to whittle the Cardinals’ deficit to 13-9 with 5:30 left in the opening half.

Williamson later drove the heart of the lane and banked in a runner with 3 seconds remaining in the first half for a 19-11 MCW lead.

Crissinger’s low-post basket and Lunn’s lone trey to open the second half inched Fairmont within 22-16, but MCW answered with an 8-0 run to put the game out of reach.

Karlee Thiesse converted Owen’s entry pass into a traditional 3-point play to trigger the Mavericks’ run before Williamson drained the first of her back-to-back 3s. Klima capped the scoring surge with a 10-footer in the lane for a 30-16 edge.

Allen later nailed a left-wing 3-pointer off a Crissinger low-post kickout pass to close within 35-23 with 5:12 remaining, but that’s as close as the Cardinals would get.

Whitehead tallied six points and three steals off the Mavericks’ bench, Owens collected five points, six steals and four assists, while Meyer finished with five points and five rebounds.

Lunn netted seven points to top the Cardinals’ effort, Becker garnered five points and six rebounds, while Crissinger finished with four points, six boards and three assists.

Fairmont (4-8) plays host to Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman/Martin Luther on Monday night at Cardinal Gym.

Martin County West (5-4) plays host to St. James Area on Monday night in Trimont.

M.C. West 19-25–44

Fairmont 11-14–25

FAIRMONT (25)

Crissinger 2-5 0-0 4, Allen 2-2 0-0 5, Becker 2-6 1-2 5, Totzke 0-2 0-0 0, Lunn 3-11 0-0 7, Olson 1-4 1-2 4, Miller 0-1 0-0 0, Gudahl 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 10-32 2-4 25.

MCW (44)

Thiesse 1-3 2-3 4, Owens 2-10 1-3 5, Meyer 2-4 1-2 5, Klima 2-2 0-2 4, Williamson 8-13 2-5 20, Revland 0-1 0-0 0, Whitehead 3-3 0-2 6. Totals 18-36 6-17 44.

3-pointers: MCW 2-5 (Williamson 2-5); Fairmont 3-14 (Allen 1-1, Olson 1-3, Lunn 1-7, Totzke 0-2, Crissinger 0-1). Fouled out: None. Rebounds: Fairmont 23 (Crissinger and Becker 6 each); MCW 21 (Meyer and Klima 5 each). Assists: MCW 10 (Klima 5, Owens 3); Fairmont 8 (Crissinger and Allen 3 each). Steals: MCW 16 (Owens 6, Thiesse 4, Whitehead 3); Fairmont 5 (Olson 3).

Martin County West defeated Fairmont, 27-21, during B-squad action Friday night at Cardinal Gym.

Brittney Mosloski scored 15 points and Bryn Miller contributed 11 points to Fairmont’s 53-21 victory over Redwood Valley during B-squad action Thursday night in Redwood Falls.

Emily Frank supplied nine points for the Cardinals, while Cassidy Schultz chipped in eight points.

North Union 53, Garner-Hayfield/Ventura 37 — Chloe Lofstrom produced a game-high double-double performance to power the Warriors to a 16-point Iowa prep victory over the Cardinals on Friday night in Armstrong.

Lofstrom scored 23 points and pulled down 14 rebounds, while teammate Maddie Rolling generated 14 points, including a pair of 3-pointers.

Rory McClellan scored five points and garnered 11 rebounds for North Union, Brooklyn Prochniak tallied five points and distributed four assists, while Hope Steinberger doled out five assists and pocketed a game-best six steals.

The Warriors made 17 of 27 shots from 2-point range for 63 percent, only 3 of 21 from behind the 3-point arc and just 10 of 20 at the free throw line.

North Union (8-2) travels to Graettinger, Iowa, on Tuesday night to play Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire.

Waterville-Elysian-Morristown 45, Blue Earth Area 44 — Caitlin Rorman poured in a game-best 23 points, but the hometown Bucs fell just one point shy of forcing overtime with the visiting Bucs on Friday night in Blue Earth.

Hannah Johnson netted seven points for Blue Earth Area.

Shelby Hermel tallied 11 points for WEM, Morgan Nusbaum netted 10 points, while Toryn Richards and Paige Pittmann each contributed eight points to the balanced effort.

Blue Earth Area (6-5) travels to St. James Area on Thursday.

Waterville-Elysian-Morristown (10-1) hits the road to Blooming Prairie on Tuesday night.

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