LOW-POST POSITIONING — Fairmont power forward Bryn Miller (14) battles for low-post position against Blue Earth Area’s Arika Howard during Big South Conference basketball action Tuesday night in Blue Earth. Fairmont’s Faith Olson (3) made the entry pass over Blue Earth Area’s Eloise Blair. The Bucs’ Lauren Schavey (5) watches the play. (Photo by Charlie Sorrells)

BLUE EARTH — The Fairmont girls hoopsters avenged a 34-31 loss to rival Blue Earth Area on Jan. 28 by combining grind-it-out smothering defense with just enough 3-point shooting Tuesday night in Blue Earth.

Maggy Totzke drained three first-half 3-pointers, Bryn Miller delivered eight points and three assists, while Faith Olson, Rayah Quiring and Madysen Allen spearheaded the Cardinals’ basketball-hawking effort that limited the Bucs to only 10 second-half points to pace a 35-22 Big South Conference triumph.

“Maggy gave us the offensive spark off the bench that we needed tonight,” said Fairmont head coach Sara Junkermeier. “Obviously she came up with a big effort by scoring half of our 18 first-half points.

“Defensively, Faith knows her role and does all the little things needed at that end of the court to help us hold the opposing team in check.”

After Lauren Schavey tossed in a right-wing 15-footer to end the Bucs’ opening scoring drought 4 minutes into the first half, Miller converted a Cadee Becker entry pass for a low-post leaner on the next trip downcourt to slam the brakes on the Cardinals’ equally auspicious start.

Enter Totzke behind the arc. The junior sharpshooter buried a trifecta to help trigger Fairmont’s pivotal 13-0 offensive surge. Totzke swooshed another 3 off an Allen cross-court feed before Quiring snapped the nets on her only trey via an Emma Gudahl pass for an 11-2 edge.

Miller then hit a putback basket to widen the visitors’ lead to 11 and forced a timeout by Bucs’ head coach Al Cue at the 5:26 juncture.

Arika Howard responded to Cue’s advice by reeling off eight of the Bucs’ next 10 points, including an ‘and-1,’ to whittle the Cardinals’ margin to 15-12 with 35 seconds left before halftime.

Totzke, however, clapped her hands in asking for the basketball and Miller spotted her for a net-snapping 3-pointer with 2 seconds remaining to swing a six-point lead and the momentum back to the Cardinals.

Allen opened the second half with a left-wing 3, Miller hit a solo free throw and Totzke fed Olson for a breakaway layup off a steal to double Fairmont’s lead at 24-12. The Cardinals never looked back en route to the 13-point victory.

Becker pulled down six rebounds to go with four points for the Cardinals, Brittney Mosloski scored four, while Quiring pulled down six boards and made three steals.

Howard neared a double-double performance with eight points and nine rebounds to go with three steals for the Bucs, while Eloise Blair supplied six points and eight boards.

Fairmont (10-5) plays host to Redwood Valley in a Big South Conference cross-over on Friday night, while Blue Earth Area (4-11) plays host to St. James Area on Thursday night.

Fairmont 18-17–35

B.E. Area 12-10–22

FAIRMONT (35)

Miller 3-7 2-5 8, Quiring 1-1 0-0 3, Becker 2-6 0-2 4, Allen 1-5 0-0 3, Olson 1-5 0-0 2, Mosloski 2-5 0-0 4, Totzke 3-7 0-0 9, Schultz 1-2 0-0 2, Gudahl 0-4 0-1 0. Totals 14-45 2-8 35.

B.E. AREA (22)

Dutton 1-4 0-0 2, Howard 3-8 2-3 8, Beyer 0-1 0-0 0, Blair 2-7 2-4 6, Armstrong 0-0 0-2 0, Schavey 1-5 0-0 2, Keister 0-5 2-2 2, Schiltz 1-2 0-0 2, Armon 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 8-32 6-11 22.

3-pointers: FHS 5-16 (Totzke 3, Quiring and Allen 1 each); BEA 0-2. Fouled out: None. Rebounds: BEA 28 (Howard 9, Blair 8); FHS 25 (Becker and Quiring 6 each). Assists: FHS 9 (Miller and Allen 3 each); BEA 2. Steals: FHS 14 (Quiring 3); BEA 6 (Howard 3).

Abby Cihoski netted 14 points to power Fairmont to a 51-10 rout over Blue Earth Area during B-squad action Monday night in Blue Earth.

Nevaeh Rahm scored eight points for the Cardinals, Olivia Ortega collected six points and six rebounds, while Grace Pendergast chipped in six points.