NETTING TWO ­— Fairmont post player Nevaeh Rahm (35) elevates and fires a jumper over Windom defenders Leah Hauge (25) and Brita Tjentland (23) during basketball action in Thursday’s Windom Holiday Classic’s championship game in Windom. The Eagles went on to outlast the Cardinals, 84-76. (Photo by Greg Abel)

WINDOM — The 35-second shot clock had no impact upon the Windom Holiday Classic girls basketball championship clash between the host Eagles and defending champion Fairmont Cardinals on Thursday afternoon.

Why? Neither Big South Conference high-octane offense slowed the tempo enough to tempt a violation as the Eagles and Cardinals combined for 160 points.

The Sammons siblings — sophomore Haidyn and junior Hadley — served as the drive-and-scoop-or-dish catalysts behind Windom’s 84-76 victory over Fairmont to kept the holiday hardware at home this season.

Hadley Sammons collected 20 points, game-bests of seven assists and six steals, and five rebounds; Haidyn Sammons netted a game-best 22 points; while 6-foot senior post player Tristyn Maras delivered a double-double effort of 19 points and 14 rebounds for the high-flying Eagles.

“She (Maras) really stepped up to the challenge today,” said Windom head coach Jacob Johnson. “I think the 19 points might be a career-high for her.”

Haidyn Sammons triggered the Eagles’ 14-2 offensive outburst that snapped an early 4-all tie, but the high-octane Cardinals answered with runs of 9-2 and 6-2 down the first half’s stretch to inch within 43-37 by intermission.

Nevaeh Rahm, who missed Wednesday’s holiday opener due to illness, utilized her strong low-post moves to power Fairmont’s initial comeback surge.

Grace Pendergast, who finished with 10 points and four assists, tossed in a cutter through traffic off one of Hope Klanderud’s three assists before Brylee Miller nearly duplicated the feat by taking a perfect entry pass from Ellie Ortega for a leaner in the lane.

Brita Tjentland converted a one-and-one situation for the Eagles, but Hope Klanderud countered by draining the first of her three 3-pointers to trim the Cardinals’ deficit to 25-21 with 7 minutes to go.

Trailing 34-27 on the heels of Haidyn Sammons’ baseline follow, Miller pocketed a midcourt steal and went the distance for a layup and two of her team-leading 18 points.

Miller completed her impressive double-double performance by grabbing a game-high 16 boards to go with four steals and three assists.

Miller then spotted Rahm in the low blocks for a turnaround basket to shave the Cardinals’ gap to three, but Hadley Sammons’ two free throws and her assist to Hannah Dauer for a top-of-the-key 3 quickly restored a 39-31 margin.

Miller’s gliding 10-foot runner in the lane and Ava Terfehr’s cutter to the post off an Ortega pass left Fairmont trailing 43-37 at halftime.

“Both teams like to play uptempo and we both shot well — it’s just that we couldn’t put together many (defensive) stops,” said Fairmont head coach Sara Junkermeier. “Windom also capitalized on getting to the (free throw) line 37 times — 37 times.”

The Eagles sank 28 charity tosses for 75.6 percent, compared to the Cardinals making 65 percent, but stepping to the stripe only 20 times and sinking 13.

Windom connected for 15 of 21 free throws to pace the home team’s narrow 41-39 second-half scoring edge.

Rahm’s traditional 3-point play off a Hope Klanderud assist reduced Fairmont’s deficit to nine midway through the second half before Hadley Sammons knocked down a pivotal 3-pointer to put Windom up 62-50.

Down 84-68, Hope Klanderud hit nothing but net on a pair of bookend 3-pointers around Miller’s steal-turned-layup to claw within eight by the final horn.

Rahm produced 16 points and three assists off the bench, Klanderud chipped in 15 points and three helpers, while Pendergast and Kennedy Becker each chipped in 10 points. Ortega chipped in four points, seven boards and four assists.

Fairmont (7-2) plays host to Jackson County Central in a 6 p.m. tipoff of a varsity doubleheader Tuesday night at Cardinal Gym.

Windom (8-3) hits the road to Luverne on Tuesday night for another Big South Conference contest.

•

Fairmont     37-39–76

Windom      43-41–84

FAIRMONT (76)

Becker 4-8 0-0 10, Ortega 2-5 0-2 4, Pendergast 4-9 1-2 10, Terfehr 1-6 1-2 3, Miller 7-17 3-4 18, Rahm 6-9 4-6 16, H. Klanderud 4-6 4-4 15. Totals 28-60 13-20 76.

WINDOM (84)

Nielsen 1-3 2-2 5, Dauer 2-9 6-8 12, Maras 7-13 5-7 19, Hadley Sammons 6-17 7-8 20, Haidyn Sammons 8-14 6-10 22, Hauge 0-2 0-0 0, Hogan 2-2 0-0 4, Tjentland 0-2 2-2 2. Totals 26-62 28-37 84.

3-pointers: Fairmont 7-11 (H. Klanderud 3, Becker 2, Miller and Pendergast 1 each); Windom 4-17 (Dauer 2, Nielsen and Hadley Sammons 1 each). Fouled out: None. Rebounds: Windom 37 (Maras 14); Fairmont 31 (Miller 16). Assists: Fairmont 19 (Ortega and Pendergast 4 each); Windom 9 (Hadley Sammons 7). Steals: Windom 12 (Hadley Sammons 6); Fairmont 6 (Miller 4).

•

Makayla Lowry produced a double-double to help Fairmont edge Windom, 30-28, for the B-squad holiday tournament championship on Thursday in Windom.

Makayla Lowry scored 13 points and pulled down 13 rebounds, Emelia Klanderud scored eight points, while Norah Traetow chipped in five points and 10 boards for the Cardinals (8-1).