BASELINE ONE-HANDER — Fairmont’s Harmon Schrunk (5) elevates and fires a one-handed baseline jumper over Tri-City United’s Reggie Vosejpka (right) during non-league basketball action Friday night in Fairmont. TCU’s Nolan Readmond watches the action. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — Back-to-back victories, but different methods to achieve each one.

Augustana University football commit Sawyer Tordsen produced a game-best double-double of 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Levi Pooley tossed in 16 points to power the Fairmont Cardinals to a 60-49 non-league basketball victory over the Tri-City United Titans on Friday night in Fairmont.

“Last night, we flowed on both offense and defense, and everything clicked. Tonight, it was a grinder,” said Fairmont head coach Jared Thompson. “Sawyer probably turned in his best game of the season tonight.

“He used his size (6-foot-7, 280 pounds) to establish position in the low post and then called for the ball, and our guards got it to him.”

For a second consecutive game, Tordsen and 6-5 power forward Gavin Junkermeier jockeyed their way inside to combine for nine of the Cardinals’ initial 11 points during a back-and-forth opening 6 minutes.

Trailing 10-8 on the heels of back-to-back 15-footers by TCU’s Reggie Vosejpka and Nolan Readmond’s fluttering runner in the lane, Pooley spotted Tordsen in the low blocks for a traditional 3-point play to swing an 11-10 lead back to the Cardinals.

Pooley later swooshed back-to-back 3-pointers off assists from Hadan Toomer and David Maakestad, respectively, before Harmon Schrunk powered home a baseline leaner to stake Fairmont to a 19-12 lead.

“I thought our guys off the bench gave us the energy we needed, especially playing back-to-back nights,” Thompson said in reference to key reserves Schrunk, Toomer and Blaze Geiger. “They made several nice hustle plays and diving possessions to help us maintain our lead.”

Luke Holicky, who topped TCU with 22 points, answered during the final 4 minutes of the first half by burying a right-corner 3 before Steven Odenthal hit a 12-foot runner. Readmond later snapped the nets on a trey to regain the lead for the Titans at 20-19 with 3:16 left before intermission.

Junkermeier, who produced eight points and seven rebounds, and Tordsen countered from the low post with a baseline spin move and a putback basket, respectively, to help the Cardinals cling to a 23-22 lead at the break.

“I have to give David Maakestad kudos for suggesting a slight offensive adjustment at halftime, and it worked to finally break open a close game during the second half,” said Thompson.

Junkermeier and Tordsen utilized their low-post strength to match Luke Holicky and Reggie Vosejpka’s in-the-paint jumpers to produce ties at 27, 29 and 31 before Pooley’s back-to-back baskets swung the lead to Fairmont for good.

Pooley tossed in a 10-footer in the lane before Maakestad distributed one of his game-best five assists to a cutting Pooley along the baseline for a flying leaner.

Toomer then pick-pocketed a TCU guard at halftime and drove the distance for two more points, Geiger cashed in a cutter off a Maakestad pass and Toomer later found Schrunk for an elbow jumper and 42-32 lead with 10 minutes left in regulation.

After Luke Holicky nailed another one of his four 3s to inch TCU within three, Tordsen muscled home eight of the Cardinals’ ensuing 10 points to put the game out of reach at 52-39 with 3 minutes to go.

Schrunk, Geiger and Toomer combined for 13 valuable bench points for the Cardinals, while Reggie Vosejpka contributed 12 points to the Titans’ effort.

Fairmont (4-12) travels to Jackson on Tuesday night, while TCU (8-10) faces Sibley East on Tuesday night in Arlington.

TCU    22-27–49

FMT   23-37–60

FAIRMONT (60)

Tordsen 9-11 5-9 23, Junkermeier 4-6 0-1 8, Pooley 6-14 2-4 16, Schmidtke 0-3 0-0 0, Maakestad 0-4 0-2 0, Geiger 1-4 3-4 5, Toomer 1-5 0-0 2, Schrunk 3-4 0-0 6. Totals 24-51 10-20 60.

TCU (49)

R. Vosejpka 6-9 0-0 12, H. Holicky 0-1 0-0 0, Odenthal 1-3 2-2 4, Readmond 3-7 0-0 7, L. Holicky 7-13 4-5 22, M. Vosejpka 0-0 0-0 0, Tandia 0-0 0-0 0, Flintrop 0-0 0-0 0, Nightingale 1-2 2-2 4. Totals 18-35 8-9 49.

3-pointers: TCU 5-12 (L. Holicky 4-7, Readmond 1-4, Odenthal 0-1); Fairmont 2-12 (Pooley 2-7, Schmidtke 0-2, Maakestad 0-2, Toomer 0-1). Fouled out: Flintrop. Rebounds: Fairmont 27 (Tordsen 10, Junkermeier 7); TCU 17 (Odenthal 5). Assists: Fairmont 10 (Maakestad 5); TCU 5. Steals: Fairmont 11; TCU 2.

Nolan Schultze buried five 3-pointers to ignite his 23-point performance in guiding Fairmont to a 53-27 victory over TCU during B-squad action Friday night.

Oliver Tordsen contributed nine points to the Cardinals’ win.

Tavian Harvey and Merritt Pomerenke each tallied 11 points to power Fairmont’s 62-23 rout over TCU during C-squad action Friday night. Logan Junkermeier contributed 10 points to the win.

Logan Junkermeier scored 14 points to top Fairmont’s 44-28 win over Luverne in Thursday night’s C-squad contest. Joe Long supplied 10 points for the Cardinals.

Waseca 69, Blue Earth Area 35 — Carson Ohnstad poured in a game-best 23 points as the Bluejays outscored the Bucs by a 41-16 second-half margin to run away with a 34-point Big South Conference trumph on Friday night in Waseca.

Damarius Russell contributed 18 points and seven assists to the victory for Waseca (15-4).

Ashton Lloyd produced 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists to top BEA’s statistical charts, while Will Bromeland supplied nine points.

Jack Norman pulled down six rebounds, Max Loge doled out three assists and Austin Skaden tallied five points for the Bucs.

Blue Earth Area (11-6) travels to New Ulm next Friday night for another league contest.

Garner-Hayfield/Ventura 78, North Union 56 — Drew Britson poured in a game-best 27 points and Aiden Hawe supplied 16 more to propel the Cardinals to a 22-point Top of Iowa Conference win over the Warriors on Friday night in Garner, Iowa.

Kyan Jones connected for a team-best 14 points to top North Union, while Danyal Fothergill and Grady Madden each delivered 11 points in the loss.

Logan Odegaard chipped in eight points for the Warriors, while Aiden Lofstrom pulled down a team-best five boards.

North Union (13-7) travels to Lake Mills on Tuesday night.