FAIRMONT — While snowflakes fluttered to the ground in Fairmont on Thursday night, it was raining 3-pointers inside Cardinal Gym.

Jack Hested snapped the nylon nets on five of his six trifectas on the game, while teammate Carter Bell swooshed four of his five treys to highlight the Fairmont Cardinals’ lopsided 50-21 halftime lead over the Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial Knights.

Hested finished with a game-high 18 points, Bell delivered 15 more, Wyatt Frank contributed 12 points and Zach Jorgensen topped the Cardinals in rebounds, steals and assists to pace Fairmont’s 81-45 rout over LCWM in non-league basketball action.

“It’s difficult to believe, but we actually shot more 3s than 2s in the first half tonight,” Fairmont head coach Jared Thompson said in reference to his lineup’s 11-for-18 performance from behind the arc and 8-for-14 effort from 2-point range during the game’s initial 18 minutes. “But that’s OK because they were all good looks and of course, we made them, so that helps.”

Jorgensen, who collected nine rebounds, seven steals and six assists, triggered the Cardinals’ game-opening 11-0 surge with a 3-pointer off a Carson Toomer assist. Ironically, Jorgensen finished with five points.

“Zach played an unselfish game tonight, as did all of our guys. Everybody looked to go to the hot hand tonight,” said Thompson, whose lineup finished 16 of 34 behind the arc en route to 31 of 62 overall from the field. “Jack and Carter really got into a (shooting) rhythm early on and it carried us to a 50-point first half.”

Frank converted a Jorgensen lob into a low-post 2 before Hested and Bell dialed long distance in back-to-back fashion to cap Fairmont’s quick 11-point run out of the starting gate. Zack Wells, who netted a team-best 17 points, hit a runner in the lane to finally end LCWM’s scoreless start at the 14:40 juncture.

Joey Flohrs, who delivered nine points off the bench, hit a putback basket to later serve as the catalyst behind Fairmont’s 29-4 offensive avalanche that widened the Cardinals’ lead to 50-16 with 2 minutes left before intermission.

Jorgensen hit a runner, Caden Baarts delivered two of his eight points in the low post before Frank banked in a follow bucket. Landon Lantz interrupted the Cardinals’ string of consecutive points with a baseline fadeaway for the Knights before Bell and Hested launched and connected from 3-point range.

Bell swooshed two 3s and Hested drained three more before Flohrs joined the long-distance shooting club with a top-of-the-key trey.

Frank ignited the Cardinals’ 11-0 run to open the second half with back-to-back low-post baskets before Hested and Bell drained their final 3s of the night to extend the gap to 61-21 to eventually lead to running time with 9 minutes left in regulation.

Lantz netted 10 points for LCWM, while Wells added five rebounds and three steals to his 17-point effort.

Fairmont (11-6) plays host to Blue Earth Area tonight in a Big South Conference game, while Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial (3-16) entertains Mountain Lake Area tonight.

LCWM 21-24–45

FHS 50-31–81

FAIRMONT (81)

Frank 6-11 0-1 12, Hested 6-12 0-0 18, Jorgensen 2-4 0-0 5, Bell 5-8 0-0 15, Toomer 1-1 0-0 3, Baarts 3-3 2-3 8, Flohrs 4-10 0-0 9, Betts 0-2 0-0 0, Buntjer 2-3 0-1 4, Rosch 1-2 1-2 4, Parker 0-1 0-0 0, Reyes Santiago 1-5 0-0 3. Totals 31-62 3-7 81.

LCWM (45)

Lantz 4-8 1-5 10, Flack 0-4 0-2 0, Wells 8-15 0-0 17, Bode 0-2 0-0 0, Nickels 0-5 0-0 0, Hodgkins 1-3 0-0 3, Ulman 2-3 0-0 6, Sullivan 0-2 0-0 0, Dudgeon 2-2 0-0 4, McManemy 0-3 0-0 0, Mann 1-2 2-2 5. Totals 18-49 3-9 45.

3-pointers: Fairmont 16-34 (Hested 6, Bell 5, Jorgensen 1, Toomer 1, Flohrs 1, Rosch 1, Reyes Santiago 1); LCWM 6-14 (Ulman 2, Lantz 1, Wells 1, Hodgkins 1, Mann 1). Rebounds: Fairmont 35 (Jorgensen 9); LCWM 23 (Wells 5). Assists: Fairmont 15 (Jorgensen 6); LCWM 2. Steals: Fairmont 13 (Jorgensen 7); LCWM 7 (Wells 3).

Gavin Junkermeier delivered a game-best 15 points to power Fairmont to a 51-31 win over LCWM during B-squad action Thursday.

Jake Harris contributed eight points to the Cardinals’ win, while David Maakestad distributed five assists.

Sawyer Tordsen tossed in a game-high 19 points to help Fairmont edge LCWM, 45-44, during C-squad action Thursday night.

Isaiah Lebbi tallied 10 points for the Cardinals.

Martin County West 65, Cedar Mountain 63 — Wyatt Geistfeld hit the game-winning jumper in the lane with 1 second remaining in regulation to top the Mavericks’ two-point non-league win over the Cougars on Thursday night in Morgan.

Angel Reyes netted 17 points to pace a balanced MCW scoring attack, Zach Anderson generated 14 points and Geistfeld finished with 13 points.

Karson Janssen came off the bench to connect on three key 3-pointers en route to nine points to fuel the Mavericks’ 41-33 second-half comeback after trailing 30-24 at intermission.

Chris Dow delivered a game-best 21 points for Cedar Mountain, while Trey Peterson-Juhl tossed in 14 points.

Martin County West (18-3) hosts Truman/Martin Luther/ GHEC in a 7:15 p.m. Valley Showcase game Monday in Trimont.

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Girls Basketball

Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial 84, Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman/Martin Luther 53 — Lakesha Carter netted 25 points while teammate Alexis Cloyd added 23 to lead the Knights to the win in a Valley Conference Showcase game Thursday night in Northrop.

Emily Stauter paced the Jaguars with 18 points and four rebounds. Jayme Balcom tossed in nine points and grabbed four boards, while Eden Studer had eight points and six rebounds.

The Jaguars made 19 of 59 shots from the field, including going 3 of 5 from 3-point range, and added 12 of 22 at the line.

The Jaguars (10-11) host Martin County West at 2 p.m. Saturday in Granada in a Showcase matchup.

Martin County West 52, St. Clair 37 — Gabby Lange connected on 9 of 12 shots from the field, netting 19 points and adding 11 rebounds to pace the Mavericks’ victory over the Cyclones in a Valley Conference Showcase game in Sherburn on Thursday night.

Kari Matejka netted 11 points and four rebounds for Martin County West, while teammate Sami Meyer grabbed 11 rebounds on the night.

MCW shot 20 of 37 from the field and made 11 of 17 from the free throw line.

Martin County West (9-9) continues Showcase play at 2 p.m. Saturday when it takes on Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman/Martin Luther in Granada.