ANOTHER TRIFECTA ­— Fairmont guard Hope Klanderud (13) elevates and connects for a 3-pointer over Jackson County Central defender Kylee Wenzel (21) during Big South Conference basketball action Tuesday night at Cardinal Gym in Fairmont. Klanderud went on to make five trifectas to help pace the Cardinals’ victory. (Photo by Greg Abel)

FAIRMONT — Brylee Miller, Hope Klanderud, Ava Terfehr and Grace Pendergast combined to singe the Cardinal Gym nets for a program-record 17 3-pointers to help Fairmont counter Jackson County Central offensive wrecking crew Rylie Cother on Tuesday night.

Miller dialed long distance six times, Klanderud nailed five, Terfehr drained four and Pendergast hit two more to help pace the Cardinals’ 81-70 Big South Conference basketball victory over the visiting Huskies.

“We went into the game figuring we’d be facing a 2-3 zone defense and they’d want to collapse on (post player) Nevaeh (Rahm) inside to try to handle her strength down low,” said Fairmont head coach Sara Junkermeier. “Neveah did a good job of kicking the ball back out once she drew a double-team, and then our guards utilized the skip pass to free up our perimeter shooters.

“Once we hit a couple 3s, the girls started shooting with more confidence and we gradually pulled away during the second half.”

After the Cardinals and Huskies battled to first-half ties of 13, 15 and 28, Cother used her quick first step, cross-over maneuvers and spinning dribble-drives to reel off three consecutive baskets for six of her game-best 38 points to build a four-point lead for Jackson County Central with 1 minute remaining before intermission.

Terfehr, however, displayed her own instant offensive skills by nailing a left-wing 17-footer off a Hope Klanderud assist before Kylee Wenzel answered for JCC with a low-post bucket and two of her 21 points on the game.

Terfehr, who finished with 19 points, five assists and three steals, scored on a cutter with 45 seconds remaining before the break before pocketing a pivotal steal only 17 seconds later. Terfehr converted the key ‘and-1′ play to transform the Cardinals’ two-point deficit into a 35-34 lead at halftime.

Terfehr then bridged the intermission by draining a right-wing 3-pointer off one of Miller’s five assists before Miller spotted Klanderud for a top-of-the-key triple during the initial 3 minutes of the second segment.

Miller, who produced incredible numbers of 25 points and a game-best 18 rebounds, converted a traditional 3-point play to create Fairmont’s first double-figure lead at 44-34 at the 15-minute juncture.

Cother continued to weave, juke and crash the offensive glass for basket after basket and point after point for JCC, but Rahm pounded the low post for four of her 12 points on the game to offset the damage.

After Cother executed an end-to-end drive for a layup after clearing the defensive boards to inch the Huskies within 48-44, Terfehr and Klanderud nailed clutch 3-pointers to help restore an eight-point lead.

Pendergast, Klanderud, Terfehr and Miller each snapped the nets on consecutive respective 3-pointers to keep Cother and the Huskies at bay at 70-58 with 4 minutes to go.

Miller and Klanderud drilled two and one trifectas, respectively, to close out the Cardinals’ perimeter prowess on the night.

Klanderud finished with 17 points, Ellie Ortega contributed eight rebounds and Rahm chipped in seven rebounds.

Cother topped all players with eight steals to complement her 38-point, eight-rebound performance for the Huskies. Cother entered Tuesday night’s contest with a lofty 29-point scoring clip.

Fairmont (8-2) plays host to Class 3A No. 10-ranked St. Peter on Friday night at Cardinal Gym. Jackson County Central (7-4) plays host to Redwood Valley on Friday night.

JCC             34-36–70

FMT            35-46–81

FAIRMONT (81)

Becker 0-4 0-0 0, Ortega 1-2 0-0 2, Pendergast 2-7 0-0 6, Terfehr 7-10 1-1 19, Miller 9-19 1-5 25, Rahm 6-11 0-2 12, H. Klanderud 6-10 0-0 17. Totals 31-54 2-8 81.

JCC (70)

Coquyt 1-1 0-0 3, Rowe 1-3 0-1 2, Anderson 2-2 0-0 4, Wenzel 9-18 2-5 21, Cother 17-43 3-10 38, Liepold 0-0 0-0 0, Benson 0-1 0-1 0, Sether 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 31-69 5-17 70.

3-pointers: Fairmont 17-31 (Miller 6, H. Klanderud 5, Terfehr 4, Pendergast 2); Jackson Co. Central 3-11 (Coquyt, Wenzel and Cother 1 each). Fouled out: None. Rebounds: Fairmont 37 (Miller 18, Ortega 8); Jackson Co. Central 33 (Cother and Wenzel 8 each). Assists: Fairmont 24 (Pendergast, Terfehr and Miller 5 each); Jackson Co. Central 8 (Anderson 3). Steals: Jackson Co. Central 12 (Cother 8); Fairmont 8 (Pendergast and Terfehr 3 each).

Makayla Lowry produced 10 points and seven rebounds to help Fairmont stave off Jackson County Central, 30-27, during B-squad action Tuesday night in Fairmont.

Norah Traetow contributed seven points to the Cardinals’ winning ways, while teammate Makenzie Lowry pulled down nine rebounds.

Fairmont (9-1) plays host to St. Peter on Friday night.

Jackson County Central downed Fairmont in C-squad action, 37-15, Tuesday night.

Abbie Simpson netted eight points to top the Cardinals.