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Fairmont’s defense shuts down Blue Earth Area hoopsters, 50-24

FAIRMONT — A 30-minute premature tip-off — created by no B-squad game — seemed to get both Fairmont and Blue Earth Area out of synchronization during Friday night’s Big South Conference girls basketball clash at Cardinal Gym.

Despite the two rivals combining to open the game 0-for-19 from the field during seven minutes of scoreless hardwood action, the hometown Cardinals’ bench generated 15 of its 24 points during a 32-point second half to pace a 50-24 triumph over the Bucs.

“Our defensive intensity set the tone from the opening tip tonight,” Fairmont head coach Sara Junkermeier said in reference to her lineup’s plus-13 in the turnover category. “Our defenders did a nice job of shifting within our zone and our trap was effective in our full-court press.

“We knew we had to keep the pressure on them in order to be successful.”

Ironically, the game’s first points came from the hands of Blue Earth Area forward Arika Howard at the free throw line at the 10:59 juncture for a 2-0 margin. It would be the Bucs’ only lead of the night as the Cardinals erupted for an 11-0 run to help build an 18-8 edge by intermission.

Cassidy Schultz came off Fairmont’s bench to connect for the game’s initial field goal off a putback basket with 8:49 remaining in the first half to slam the brakes on an 0-for-9 start.

Schultz then hit a solo free throw before Emma Gudahl buried a left-wing 3-pointer off one of Faith Olson’s game-best four assists to quickly double Fairmont’s point production at 6-2.

Maggy Totzke, who delivered eight points and three steals off the home team’s bench, combined with Olson to set a backcourt trap before Totzke tipped the basketball to Olson. The Cardinals’ point guard drove the short distance for a layup before Brittney Mosloski banked home two more points when Gudahl broke the Bucs’ press and spotted the 5-foot-11 post under the basket.

Bryn Miller’s solo charity toss capped Fairmont’s surge before Howard ended Blue Earth Area’s 5-minute offensive drought — 0-for-10 — with a low-post basket at the 4-minute mark.

With less than a minute remaining before halftime, reserve Rayah Quiring spotted Schultz for a low-post turnaround basket to widen the Cardinals’ margin to 18-6, but the Bucs would have the final word of the first half.

With the final 5 seconds ticking down, Sophia Keister rebounded a short Blue Earth Area shot and hit the buzzer-beating putback to inch the visitors within 10 going into the lockerroom.

Fairmont’s players, however, heeded Junkermeier’s halftime advice and stormed out of the break on an 8-1 run to created breathing room at 26-9.

Miller drove and dished to Becker for a 15-footer to trigger the offensive outburst, Gudahl drove the lane for a runner, Olson threaded a pass to Schultz for a low-post lay-in and Quiring made two free throws.

Howard later scored two more of her game-best 11 points to pull the Bucs within 28-17 before Mosloski and the Cardinals reeled off 12 unanswered points to put the game away by the 4-minute mark.

Mosloski made 3 of 4 free throws before Gudahl converted a timely putback-and-one off Mosloski’s miss at the line. Mosloski’s skip pass set up the first of Totzke’s two 3-pointers, Gudahl added a solo charity toss and Schultz delivered a perfect pass to a cutting Olson for two more to extend the home team’s lead to 23.

Gudahl neared double-double territory by scoring nine points and garnering seven rebounds to top Fairmont, while Totzke and Becker each netted eight points and three steals.

Schultz produced seven pivotal points and five rebounds for the Cardinals, Olson tallied five points and doled out four assists, Mosloski scored five points, while Quiring added four points, four boards and three assists off the bench.

Eloise Blair scored six points off the Bucs’ bench, while Kaitlin Johnson pulled down seven rebounds and dished out three assists.

Fairmont (6-4) hits the road to New Richland today for a 6:15 p.m. contest against sectional opponent New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva.

Blue Earth Area (1-8) plays host to New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva on Monday night in Blue Earth in a nonconference game.

B.E. Area 8-16–24

Fairmont 18-32–50

FAIRMONT (50)

Miller 0-0 1-2 1, Allen 1-2 0-0 3, Becker 4-7 0-0 8, Gudahl 3-5 2-3 9, Olson 2-11 1-4 5, Totzke 3-7 0-0 8, Mosloski 1-4 3-4 5, Quiring 0-1 4-6 4, Schultz 3-3 1-2 7, Schwieger 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 17-40 12-21 50.

B.E. AREA (24)

K. Johnson 1-4 0-4 2, A. Howard 4-10 3-5 11, Dutton 1-6 0-0 2, Osmundson 0-2 0-0 0, Armstrong 0-3 1-3 1, Blair 1-2 4-6 6, Barnett 0-1 0-0 0, Keister 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 8-30 8-18 24.

3-pointers: Fairmont 4-14 (Totzke 2-3, Allen 1-1, Gudahl 1-3, Olson 0-7); B.E. Area 0-3 (Armstrong 0-2, Osmundson 0-1). Fouled out: A. Howard (BEA). Rebounds: Fairmont 28 (Gudahl 7); B.E. Area 21 (K. Johnson 7). Assists: Fairmont 10 (Olson 4); B.E. Area 4 (K. Johnson 3). Steals: Fairmont 11 (Becker and Totzke 3 each); B.E. Area 7 (Osmundson 3).

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