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Jorgensen, Hested power Fairmont hoopsters over New Ulm

FAIRMONT — Zach Jorgensen produced a team-best double-double performance, while Jack Hested and Carter Bell combined for six second-half 3-pointers to power the Fairmont Cardinals’ 57-45 Big South basketball victory over the New Ulm Eagles on Thursday night.

With 6-foot-8 senior center Wyatt Frank playing limited minutes due to the lingering effects of a bone bruise on his knee suffered during last Tuesday’s game against Belle Plaine, the 6-foot-3 Jorgensen & Co. literally elevated their overall games against the Eagles’ low-post tandem of 6-7 Cole Rhode and 6-5 Reece Melby at Cardinal Gym.

Jorgensen delivered 11 of his team-best 17 points and grabbed nine of his dozen rebounds during the initial 18 minutes to help pace Fairmont’s 27-21 lead at intermission.

Hested, who missed all four of his first-half 3-point shots, redeemed himself by blistering the nylon nets on 4 of 7 jumpers behind the arc during the second half to finish with 16 points. Bell, who went 0-for-2 from bonus territory in the opening half, nailed 2 of 3 trifectas during the final 18 minutes to fuel his 10-point effort.

“If you would have told me before the game that Wyatt would score only one point and we’d beat New Ulm by 12, I would not have believed you,” said Fairmont head coach Jared Thompson. “He gave us everything he had tonight, but it (injury) just kept flaring up throughout the game.

“He didn’t score much, but he helped us with six rebounds, four blocks and four steals.”

Melby, who scored his 1,000th career point on the bull’s-eye via his game-best 23-point performance, nailed one of his four 3-pointers to produce the conference clash’s first of only two ties at 13-all midway through the first half.

Cole Backer’s right-wing runner then staked the Eagles to their only lead of the night at 15-13 before Hested countered with a baseline drive for a tie at 15-all.

Hested’s 2-pointer triggered Fairmont’s ensuing 10-2 run that kept New Ulm at arm’s length for the entire game. Carson Toomer got a friendly bounce on a 3-pointer before hitting a runner in traffic to put Fairmont ahead 20-15.

Rhode, who erupted for 17 points and a game-best 18 rebounds, stuck a putback basket off an offensive carom to claw the Eagles within three, but Bell swooshed a left-corner 2-pointer off one of Jorgensen’s five assists on the heels of a missed Melby breakaway dunk at the other end.

Rhode netted seven of New Ulm’s first eight points of the second half, but Hested and Bell answered by draining two treys and one 3, respectively.

Melby’s left-corner 3 inched New Ulm within 36-32 with 12 minutes left in the second half, but Jorgensen’s pull-up 8-footer and Bell’s left-wing 3 restored the Cardinals’ lead to 41-32.

“Every time New Ulm got close in the second half, we came up with timely shots to answer,” said Thompson. “Jack then hit a couple of big 3s during the final 3 minutes to put the game away.

“At no time was I super comfortable with our lead, although the game was not really tight either.”

Thompson credited solid defensive games by Caden Baarts and Toomer as part of his team’s winning equation, too.

“Caden really did a good job defending their bigs in the post, while Toomer knows how to disrupt things in the backcourt,” said Thompson.

Fairmont (2-0, 1-0 BSC) hosts Luverne in the last of seven BSC Showcase games Saturday at Cardinal Gym. The Fairmont-Luverne tipoff is tentatively scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

New Ulm (0-4, 0-3) faces Worthington in the BSC Showcase opener at 10 a.m. Saturday in Fairmont.

New Ulm 21-24–45

Fairmont 27-30–57

FAIRMONT (57)

Frank 0-5 1-2 1, Hested 5-13 2-5 16, Toomer 2-3 0-0 5, Jorgensen 6-11 4-6 17, Bell 4-8 0-0 10, Baarts 3-5 0-3 6, Utermarck 0-1 0-0 0, Betts 1-1 0-1 2. Totals 21-47 7-17 57.

NEW ULM (45)

Melby 6-20 7-8 23, Miller 0-3 0-0 0, Slette 0-0 0-0 0, Maki 0-0 0-0 0, Wenninger 1-7 0-0 2, Backer 1-4 1-3 3, Rhode 6-14 5-6 17, Furth 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 14-50 13-17 45.

3-pointers: Fairmont 8-22 (Hested 4-12, Bell 2-5, Toomer 1-2, Jorgensen 1-1, Baarts 0-1, Frank 0-1); New Ulm 4-15 (Melby 4-10, Wenninger 0-3, Furth 0-2). Fouled out: None. Rebounds: Fairmont 32 (Jorgensen 12); New Ulm 28 (Rhode 18). Assists: Fairmont 12 (Jorgensen 5, Toomer 4); New Ulm 3. Steals: Fairmont 9 (Frank 4, Jorgensen 3); New Ulm 4. Blocked shots: Fairmont 6 (Frank 4).

Jackson Francis scored 18 points, while Gavin Junkermeier produced a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds to guide Fairmont to a 56-34 win over New Ulm during B-squad action Thursday.

Tanner Rosch contributed 10 points to the Cardinals’ win.

Fairmont edged New Ulm, 39-32, in C-squad action Thursday.

No individual Fairmont statistics were reported.

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