FAIRMONT — High-intensity defense transformed into instant offense.

Madysen Allen created a game-best eight steals as Fairmont’s full-court, pick-pocket defense forced 33 Windom Area turnovers to help engineer the hometown Cardinals’ 57-38 season-opening basketball victory over the Eagles on Tuesday night in Fairmont.

“Our defense set the (Big South Conference) game’s tone as the girls were flying around the court, scrambling to every loose ball and playing tough trapping defense the whole time,” said Fairmont head coach Sara Junkermeier, whose lineup scorched the nets on 13-for-20 field-goal shooting — 65 percent — and generated a 20-10 rebounding edge in the second half to expand its eight-point halftime lead.

Trailing 16-11 with 8 minutes remaining in the opening half, Allen and Faith Olson applied the miscue-creating backcourt pressure to serve as the catalyst behind a 13-0 surge to close the first half.

After Allen and Olson forced a jump ball and ensuing change-of-possession via a midcourt scrum, Brittney Mosloski powered through the paint for two of her 11 points to inch the Cardinals within 16-13.

Allen then swooshed a right-wing 3-pointer off one of Olson’s game-best seven assists to knot the game with 5 minutes left.

Mosloski, who neared a double-double performance by grabbing a team-high eight rebounds, sank a solo free throw before power forward Bryn Miller cleared shooting space for Emma Gudahl’s 12-foot runner with a low-post screen with 1:08 showing on the scoreboard.

Allen pocketed a steal and then displayed her passing skills by spotting Miller cutting through traffic for a layup, foul and ensuing and-1 free throw for a traditional 3-point play and a 22-16 lead with 11 seconds to go.

Allen, however, was not finished as she swiped her sixth theft of the first half and drove the distance with only 5 seconds remaining.

Cadence Becker, who did not score in the opening half off the Cardinals’ bench, reeled off 10 of her team-best 12 points to help stake the home team to a 38-20 lead in the second segment.

Reegan Elder, however, drained a 3-pointer to trigger the Eagles’ countering 11-0 run to whittle the Cardinals’ margin to 38-31 with 9 1/2 minutes left in regulation.

Shelby Erickson capped the double-digit surge with a pull-up 3 from the top of the key before more Fairmont defensive pressure by Maggy Totzke, Allen and Olson helped create an answering 10-0 run to put the game out of reach.

Mosloski hit a low-post leaner, Miller made two free throws, Totzke converted a backcourt steal into a layup, Mosloski added two charity tosses and Olson threaded an assist to Mosloski for two more points in the paint en route to a 48-31 lead.

Autumn Hauge, who topped all players with 14 points, later worked the low post for back-to-back baskets to inch Windom Area within 12 before Totzke banked home a left-wing 3-pointer to regain the late momentum for Fairmont.

Miller delivered 11 points and six rebounds; Allen neared triple-double territory with nine points, eight steals and seven boards; Becker tallied 12 points, six rebounds and four steals; Rayah Quiring and Totzke netted five points apiece.

Delaney Smith pulled down a game-best 13 rebounds for the Eagles and added six points.

Fairmont (1-0) travels to Waseca on Thursday night, while Windom Area (1-1) faces Southwest Minnesota Christian at 6 p.m. Saturday in Jackson in a Big South Conference Showcase game.

Windom 16-22–38

Fairmont 24-33–57

FAIRMONT (57)

Bryn Miller 4-7 3-3 11, Rayah Quiring 2-10 0-0 5, Brittney Mosloski 4-5 3-4 11, Faith Olson 0-4 0-0 0, Madysen Allen 4-6 0-0 9, Cadence Becker 5-7 2-3 12, Maggy Totzke 2-3 0-0 5, Emma Gudahl 2-6 0-2 4. Totals 23-48 8-12 57.

WINDOM (38)

Autumn Hauge 5-8 4-6 14, Halle Jackson 2-4 1-5 5, Delaney Smith 2-8 2-5 6, Shelby Erickson 1-6 0-0 3, Allison Letcher 0-10 0-1 0, Gracie Bucher 2-7 0-0 4, Reegan Elder 1-3 0-0 3, Kaitlee Huska 1-2 1-2 3, Jadyn Wormstadt 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 14-52 8-19 38.

3-pointers: Fairmont 3-11 (Allen 1-1, Totzke 1-1, Quiring 1-6, Olson 0-2, Gudahl 0-1); Windom 2-13 (Elder 1-1, Erickson 1-3, Huska 0-1, Wormstadt 0-1, Letcher 0-4, Jackson 0-2). Fouled out: Becker. Rebounds: FHS 37 (Mosloski 8, Allen 7); Windom 29 (Smith 13). Assists: FHS 14 (Olson 7); Windom 5. Steals: FHS 20 (Allen 8, Becker 4); Windom 13 (Letcher and Erickson 3 each).

Emily Frank produced a game-high double-double performance to power Fairmont to a season-opening 49-27 victory over Windom Area during B-squad action Tuesday night.

Frank scored 18 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, while teammate Claire Nemmers tallied 14 points and pocketed five steals for the Cardinals (1-0).

Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman/Martin Luther 42, Cedar Mountain 28 — Jayme Balcom’s 18 points led the Jaguars to a 14-point win over the Cougars on Tuesday night in nonconference action in Truman.

Eden Studer led the Jaguars with eight rebounds, while teammate Michaelah Petrowiak had six boards and four blocks.

Lydia Steinhaus added seven points to the Jaguars’ winning ways.

The Jaguars hit 9 of 20 free throws and made 15 of 62 shots from the field, including 3 of 14 from 3-point range.

The Jaguars (2-0) play host to Springfield at 7:15 p.m. Thursday in Truman.

•

Boys Basketball

Fairmont 56, Belle Plaine 53 — A Wyatt Frank dunk to tie and a Carter Bell 3-pointer to go ahead 53-50 led the Cardinals to a late comeback win in nonconference action Tuesday night in Belle Plaine.

Frank’s dunk tied the game at 50 before Bell’s 3 put the Cardinals up for good down the stretch.

Frank ended with a team-high 21 points and seven rebounds, while Bell tallied 15 points.

Zach Jorgensen put up eight points, dished out five assists and grabbed five boards for Fairmont.

The Cardinals made 20 of 53 shots overall, including 5 of 19 from 3-point range. Fairmont also made 11 of 14 from the charity stripe.

The Cardinals (1-0) play host to New Ulm on Dec. 12.

Fairmont needed overtime to beat Belle Plaine 62-52 in B-squad action Tuesday.

David Maakestad sank a 3-pointer with 2 seconds remaining in regulation to send the game into overtime.

Maakestad ended with 17 points, while Gavin Junkermeier also totalled 17 points, while adding eight rebounds.

Jacob Crissinger tallied 10 points and Thomas Klanderud made eight for the Cardinals.

Belle Plaine edged Fairmont 34-33 in C-squad action Tuesday night.

No individual statistics were reported.

Martin County West 83, North Union 38 — The Mavericks routed the Warriors in nonconference action Tuesday night in Armstrong.

Wyatt Geistfeld led MCW with 20 points, six assists and five rebounds, while teammate Angel Reyes put up 19 points.

Karson Janssen added 11 points to the Mavericks’ winning ways, while Zach Anderson had 10 points.

Tanner Sinn totalled eight points, 11 rebounds, three assists and three steals to help MCW.

Noah Morphew sank five 3s to lead to his Warrior-leading 15 points, while Robert Ortman had 10 points and Gage Madden totalled seven. Ortman added four rebounds, while Madden grabbed three.

The Mavericks made 27 of 44 shots from 2-point range and 9 of 20 from 3-point range.

North Union made six of 22 shots from 2 and 8 of 20 from 3.

MCW (1-0) plays host to Westbrook-Walnut Grove at 5:30 p.m. Saturday in Trimont. North Union (0-1) hosts North Iowa at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Armstrong.