CARDINAL CAPTAINS — Fairmont team captains Faith Olson (3), Bryn Miller (14), Maddy Schwieger (11) and Madysen Allen (23) will guide the Cardinals into their basketball season-opener tonight in St. James. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — Better together.

Fairmont head coach Sara Junkermeier’s Cardinals girls basketball lineup has embraced the above mantra for the upcoming coronavirus-condensed campaign.

“After getting about a two-month late start to the season, a return to basketball is filling a huge void for the girls,” said Junkermeier, who guided Fairmont to a 15-11 overall record during her third season at the program’s helm in 2019-20. “Now we all have a purpose and we’re anxious to be back together in the gym again.

“Hopefully we can pick up where we left off, and then move forward another couple of steps this year.”

The Cardinals utilized balanced scoring and basketball-hawking defensive pressure to tip off the 2020 Section 2AA, South Sub-Section quarterfinals with a 72-64 triumph over Maple River on Feb. 24.

Eventual sectional champion Waseca fended off Fairmont, 43-30, during the South semifinals on Feb. 28 en route to a Class AA state tournament bid. Unfortunately for the Bluejays, the world-wide COVID-19 outbreak denied the Big South Conference powerhouse the opportunity to play its state semifinal game on March 13 during the historic season without a champion.

“We’ve improved over the past two seasons, but we’re no longer the ‘young’ team anymore,” said Junkermeier. “We return everybody who’s been a part of our program the last couple of years and now it’s time to challenge the top teams and make a run in the playoffs.”

The senior foursome of Bryn Miller, Faith Olson, Madysen Allen and Maddy Schwieger will handle the Cardinals’ on- and off-court leadership roles as captains after making their varsity debuts as sophomores.

“When your team consists mainly of juniors and seniors, then the overall expectations are higher,” said Junkermeier. “Now the questions is, ‘Can we do what we need to do to achieve our goals?'”

Undersized junior post player Cadence Becker rejoins the above four floor leaders when Fairmont hits the road to St. James tonight for its 2021 season-opener against the Saints before traveling to Lake Crystal for a newly-inserted game on Friday night.

The hard-working Becker topped the Cardinals’ statistical charts in scoring (9.9 points per game) and rebounding (5.3 rpg) a year ago en route to earning selection to the Sentinel All-Area team.

“While Cadee led us in scoring and rebounding, we had another six to eight players relatively close from a statistical standpoint,” said Junkermeier. “Once again, we have balance and depth. With a deep rotation, we’re able to do a lot more things on both ends of the court.

“Each player knows they can go out and play hard for 3 minutes, and know they’re being replaced without any drop-off in skill.”

Junkermeier’s preseason analysis proved as accurate as one of Olson’s five 3-pointers during last season’s sectional clash with Waseca. Beside Becker, six Cardinal returning hoopsters produced scoring averages from 5.4 to 6.9 points per outing, while five cagers — including Becker — garnered from 3.2 to 5.3 rebounds per game.

Olson, who triggered Fairmont’s perimeter attack by connecting for 44 3-pointers, contributed 6.9 points per outing and smothering defensive pressure from her guard position, while Allen supplied 6.2 points, hard-nosed defense and passing prowess from her backcourt spot.

Both junior guard Emma Gudahl and Miller, a power forward, contributed 6.0-point scoring clips, with Miller also pulling down a second-best team average of 4.4 rebounds to trail only Becker.

Junior post player Brittney Mosloski contributed 5.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per outing to the Cardinals’ effort, while junior guard Maggy Totzke made 25 trifectas to help fuel a 5.4-point scoring clip on offense to complement uptempo pressure from a defensive standpoint.

Junior forward Rayah Quiring, junior post player Cassidy Schultz and Schwieger at a wing spot round out the Cardinals’ top 10 minute producers from a year ago. Junkermeier also anticipates solid contributions from junior wing Carissa Saxton and junior guards Claire Nemmers and Laura Thompson in rounding out Fairmont’s baker’s dozen on the varsity roster.

“Now we need to get our guards to get to the rim, have our posts be effective inside, be unselfish and find our open shooters,” said Junkermeier. “Realistically, however, we live by the covid adage — take it one practice at a time and one game at a time and don’t look too far ahead.

“We just have to live in the moment, and appreciate every time we get to play basketball.”

Fairmont is scheduled to play its first home game against rival Blue Earth Area on Thursday, Jan. 28, at Cardinal Gym.