FLOOR SCRAMBLE — Blue Earth Area guards Katherine Armon (front on floor) and Lola Lundquist (with basketball) combine for a steal from United South Central’s Taylor Schroeder (3) during the Buc Holiday Invitational’s third-place game on Thursday in Blue Earth. The Rebels’ Maya Zebro (24) and Hannah Meyer (21), along with the Bucs’ Madi Schiltz (21) and Sophia Keister (25), watch the action. (Photo by Greg Abel)

BLUE EARTH — Katherine Armon and Lola Lundquist measure only 5-feet-4 and 5-1, respectively, but the Blue Earth Area backcourt tandem played head-and-shoulders above the crowd during Thursday’s Buc Holiday Invitational’s third-place game in Blue Earth.

Armon produced a game-best 17 points to complement three assists and three steals, while Lundquist netted 12 points and three thefts to steer Blue Earth Area to a 49-29 triumph over the United South Central Rebels.

“I thought our guards played under control, read the defense, figured out our options and made the right decisions today,” said Blue Earth Area head coach Chris Voss. “Sophia (Keister) also did a nice job of finding the open player from the high post.”

Voss’ postgame analysis proved as accurate as one of Keister’s game-leading six assists as the 6-foot junior center garnered a steal and spotted a slashing Armon to trigger the Bucs’ 10-1 game-opening surge.

Keister threaded a pass to Madi Schiltz for a low-post leaner before Armon drove past the Rebel defense for a runner in the lane. Armon then transitioned roles to serve as the offensive catalyst in delivering set-up passes for back-to-back Keister low-post baskets to cap the Bucs’ quick start out of the gate.

Kelsie Chapman later nailed USC’s only 3-pointer of the opening half to inch the visitors within 10-7 before sophomore power forward Chloe Groe came off the BEA bench to trigger a pivotal 9-1 run.

Groe, who pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds to pace the Bucs’ 35-30 edge on the boards, answered with a 3-pointer before Keister spotted a cutting Olivia Dutton for two more points.

“When Madi got in early foul trouble, Chloe came in and rebounded well, and brought some physicality for us inside,” said Voss.

Taylor Schroeder’s solo free throw for the Rebels slowed the Bucs’ surge before Armon connected for a nifty baseline reverse and a breakaway layup off Groe’s block-turned-assist for a 19-8 lead.

Schroeder banked home a baseline leaner for USC before Lundquist drilled a trifecta to help BEA closed out the first half with an 8-0 spurt.

Erika Gaydon fired an assist to a slashing Armon for two more points before Gaydon beat the first-half buzzer with a banked 3-pointer en route to a 27-10 margin by intermission.

Maya Zebro swooshed a pair of 3s to bookend Armon’s trey to open the second half, but Armon’s drop-step move in traffic helped trigger an 8-0 Bucs’ surge to put the game out of reach.

Lundquist tossed in four points during the game-sealing run, while Schiltz chipped in a low-post basket to build a 42-20 lead.

Schiltz finished with eight points for the Bucs, while Keister contributed eight rebounds and four points to the winning performance.

Maya Zebro scored 10 points to top USC, Hannah Meyer supplied four points and a team-best nine boards, while Lexi Johnson added four points and a team-high three steals.

Blue Earth Area (3-6) returns to action Friday, Jan. 7 when it plays host to Waseca in a Big South Conference game in Blue Earth.

United South Central (0-8) plays host to LeRoy-Ostrander on Tuesday night in a nonconference game in Wells.

USC 10-19–29

BEA 27-22–49

B.E. AREA (49)

Schiltz 3-7 2-4 8, Dutton 1-4 0-0 2, Keister 2-5 0-0 4, Lundquist 5-14 1-1 12, Armon 7-12 2-2 17, Groe 1-5 0-1 3, Gaydon 1-3 0-0 3, Ferguson 0-0 0-2 0. Totals 20-50 5-10 49.

USC (29)

Schroeder 1-2 1-2 3, Johnson 1-2 2-6 4, Macy Zebro 1-8 1-3 3, Meyer 1-4 2-2 4, Maya Zebro 4-13 0-2 10, Dallman 0-3 0-0 0, Niebuhr 1-3 0-1 2, Chapman 1-6 0-2 3, Stenzel 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 10-43 6-18 29.

3-pointers: B.E. Area 4-18 (Armon 1-3, Gaydon 1-3, Groe 1-3, Lundquist 1-6, Dutton 0-3); USC 3-17 (Maya Zebro 2-8, Chapman 1-4, Macy Zebro 0-4, Meyer 0-1). Fouled out: None. Rebounds: BEA 35 (Groe 13, Keister 8); USC 30 (Meyer 9). Assists: BEA 10 (Keister 6, Armon 3); USC 3. Steals: BEA 9 (Armon and Lundquist 3 each); USC 6 (Johnson 3).