TRIANGULAR TRAP — Fairmont’s Rayah Quiring (right), Faith Olson (3) and Bryn Miller (back right) trap Worthington guard Brooklyn Scheitel-Taylor during Big South Conference basketball action Friday night at Cardinal Gym in Fairmont. The Cardinals’ Cadee Becker (31) looks on. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — All good things must come to an end, including the Fairmont girls basketball team’s five-game winning streak.

Olivia Hayenga and Tarren Spartz combined for 23 points, while teammate Sophie Wietzema pocketed 10 of Worthington’s 24 steals en route to a plus-13 edge in turnovers to help the visiting Trojans fend off the Cardinals, 35-30, during Friday night’s Big South Conference clash in Fairmont.

Worthington managed to extend its 24-18 halftime lead to 35-22 with 7 1/2 minutes remaining in regulation, but Fairmont did not go gently into the almost spring night.

“You have to give our girls credit — they could have thrown in the towel trailing by 13 late in the second half, but they responded by scoring the game’s final eight points to make it a close final score,” said Fairmont head coach Sara Junkermeier. “We just ran out of gas a little bit after playing our third game over the past four days.

“That’s a tough schedule that can take a lot out of you,” Junkermeier said in reference to her Cardinals’ 59-39 victory over St. James Area on Tuesday night and a grinding 29-27 overtime win in Luverne 24 hours earlier.

Maggy Totzke nailed the second of her game-best three 3-pointers off a Cassidy Schultz assist to trigger Fairmont’s stretch run with 3:33 showing on the scoreboard.

Madysen Allen then tossed home a runner in traffic before Totzke snapped the Cardinal Gym nets on a buzzer-beating trifecta en route to her team-leading nine-point performance.

“Too many turnovers, especially in the first half,” said Junkermeier, who committed 20 miscues during the initial 18 minutes before reducing that number to 16 in the second half while forcing 15 Trojan turnovers during that same time span.

Down 18-12 in the first half, Bryn Miller ended Fairmont’s string of only 3-pointers — four consecutive including two by Faith Olson and one each by Rayah Quiring and Totzke — with a 2-point baseline leaner with 5 minutes to go before intermission.

Brooklyn Scheital-Taylor answered with a runner through the lane for the Trojans before Schultz and Cadee Becker connected for the Cardinals via respective back-to-back low-post baskets to whittle the home team’s deficit to 20-18 with a minute remaining.

Spartz proved the beneficiary of a late whistle, stepped to the free throw line and converted a one-and-one situation to swing the late momentum to Worthington with 17.4 seconds left in the half.

Wietzema then picked off an errant Fairmont pass, fired to Scheitel-Taylor, who weavered through Cardinal defenders and beat the horn with a running scoop shot off the glass for a 24-18 lead heading into the lockerroom.

Ironically, Fairmont did not attempt any free throws for the duration, while Worthington made 6 of 11 at the line.

Hayenga led all scorers with 12 points, while Spartz tallied 11. Wietzema pulled down a game-best eight boards for the Trojans, while Scheital-Taylor delivered solid all-around numbers of seven points, seven steals and three assists.

Totzke led Fairmont with nine points and grabbed six boards to pace the home team’s 25-15 rebounding edge. Olson supplied eight points and three steals, while Madysen Allen pocketed three steals and pulled down five caroms for the Cardinals.

Fairmont (9-5) travels to Blue Earth Area on Tuesday night for an 8:01 p.m. tipoff, while Worthington (11-4) plays host to Windom Area on Monday night.

Worthington 24-11–35

Fairmont 18-12–30

FAIRMONT (30)

Miller 2-4 0-0 4, Quiring 1-4 0-0 3, Becker 1-5 0-0 2, Allen 1-2 0-0 2, Olson 3-6 0-0 8, Mosloski 0-2 0-0 0, Totzke 3-5 0-0 9, Gudahl 0-2 0-0 0, Schultz 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 12-31 0-0 30.

WORTHINGTON (35)

Wietzema 0-4 1-2 1, Hayenga 5-14 1-3 12, Bauman 2-4 0-0 4, Scheital-Taylor 3-5 1-2 7, Spartz 4-8 3-4 11, Weg 0-1 0-0 0, Boomgarden 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 14-36 6-11 35.

3-pointers: Fairmont 6-15 (Totzke 3-5, Olson 2-5, Quiring 1-3, Gudahl 0-2); Worthington 1-9 (Hayenga 1-4, Spartz 0-2, Wietzema 0-1, Bauman 0-1, Boomgarden 0-1). Fouled out: Wietzema. Rebounds: Fairmont 25 (Totzke 6); Worthington 15 (Wietzema 8). Assists: Fairmont 8; Worthington 6 (Scheital-Taylor 3). Steals: Worthington 24 (Wietzema 10, Scheital-Taylor 7); Fairmont 12 (Allen and Olson 3 each).

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Kate Busche netted nine points to help Fairmont edge Worthington, 40-38, during B-squad action Friday night.

Olivia Ortega supplied six points and five rebounds to the Cardinals’ winning ways, Anna Busche scored six points, while Jazlyn Geerdes pulled down six boards.

Ava Terfehr scored 12 points, grabbed seven boards and distributed three assists to help pace Fairmont’s 28-19 win over Worthington during C-squad action Friday night.

Nevaeh Rahm generated seven points and 12 rebounds for the Cardinals, Grace Pendergast supplied six points, while Anna Ehlert chipped in five points.

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Luverne edged Fairmont, 35-27, during B-squad action Thursday night in Luverne.

Olivia Ortega produced eight points and six rebounds to top Fairmont’s effort, while teammates Anna Ehlert and Nevaeh Rahm supplied five points apiece.

Grace Pendergast generated 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds to steer Fairmont to a 38-16 triumph over Luverne on Thursday night in Luverne.

Ava Terfehr contributed 11 points to the winning effort, while Nevaeh Rahm added six points and four steals.

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Granada-Huntley-East Chain/Truman/Martin Luther 56, Cleveland 25 — Olivia Mattson produced a game-high 14 points to power the Jaguars past the Clippers during Valley Conference play on Friday night in Cleveland.

Kylee Bentz and Kaelynn Meixell each scored seven points for the Jaguars, while Eden Studer neared a double-double by collecting eight points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

Michaelah Petrowiak contributed seven rebounds to the Jaguars’ effort.

The Jaguars shot 24-for-39 overall, while their defense held the Clippers to just seven points in the second half.

The Jaguars (8-6) play host to Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons at 4:45 p.m. today in Granada.

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Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial 48, Martin County West 35 — The Knights took a 9-0 run into the halftime break to build a seven-point advantage they would not give up during Valley Conference action against the Mavericks on Friday night in Lake Crystal.

Olivia Harazin scored 21 points — including three 3-pointers — for the Knights (14-1), while Lexi Cloyd scored 16 points, including two 3s.

Katie Lange and Emily Anderson co-led the Mavericks with eight points each, while Liv Borchardt scored six. Kari Matejka added five points for MCW, while Marissa Whitehead and Thea Anderson each scored four.

Martin County West (10-4) plays host to Nicollet/Loyola at 2:30 p.m. today in Trimont.

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Boys Basketball

Redwood Valley 79, Blue Earth Area 69 — Carson Woodford totaled a double-double of 21 points and 15 rebounds to power the Cardinals past the Bucs by 10 points during Big South action Friday night in Blue Earth.

Cameron Anderson led BEA with 19 points to complement four rebounds and four assists, while Braden Gudahl delivered 14 points and four boards.

Ashton Lloyd contributed 11 points and seven rebounds for the Bucs and Sam Keister neared a double-double with 10 caroms and nine points. Austin Thielfoldt added nine points to the BEA effort and dished out four assists.

BEA hit 25 of 71 shots overall, including 3 of 20 from 3-point range, while hitting 16 of 22 attempts from the charity stripe.

Redwood Valley outrebounded BEA 49-33 in the matchup.

Blue Earth Area (12-3) makes the short trip to Fairmont for a Big South Conference clash at 7:15 p.m. Monday.