Staff photo by Jake Olson: Fairmont guard Emelia Klanderud (2) scores a layup in transition during the second half of Friday night's contest against Montevideo. The Cardinals won 88-26 to advance to the second round of the 2026 Section 3AA Girls Basketball Tournament.

FAIRMONT – The Fairmont defense continued to swarm, hounding Montevideo’s offensive attack in hopes of forcing an eighth consecutive turnover of the opening minutes.

Cardinal guard Brylee Miller got her hands on the ball and never looked back. Going the full length of the court, the senior’s layup finished Fairmont’s 17-0 scoring run to open Friday night’s Section 3AA first-round matchup against Montevideo.

No. 1 Fairmont never looked back from the hot start. The Cardinals retained intensity on both sides of the court throughout the contest, picking up the 88-26 victory to secure a semifinal matchup against No. 5 Luverne next Tuesday in Jackson.

“It was the fuel to the fire,” Fairmont head coach Sara Junkermeier said of her defense. “It got us a lot of quick points. We challenged the girls to stay mentally focused, and they stepped up and did what they needed to do. It was fun to watch them and see their enthusiasm as the game went on.”

Miller led all scorers with 21 points, stuffing the stat sheet with 14 rebounds, nine assists and three steals. Seven Fairmont players recorded at least one steal.

Joining Miller and hitting the 20-point mark was eighth-grade guard Olive Kawecki. Kawecki finished the night with 20 points after knocking down a slew of three-pointers in the opening minutes of the contest. Emelia Klanderud notched 13 points while Bria Williamson finished with nine.

Fairmont’s zone offense was effective as soon as the Thunderhawks settled into the halfcourt. What was once a work in progress seems to be clicking on all cylinders for Junkermeier’s team. The Cardinals used patience and precise passing to navigate the Montevideo 2-3 scheme.

Kawecki knocked her third 3-pointer of the first two minutes, this time off a cross-court pass from Miller, to elevate the Cardinals to a 13-0 advantage.

“I’ve watched that kid [Olive Kawecki] play since she was really young, and I know what she’s made of. I’ve seen it,” Junkermeier said. “When she steps up and hits those threes, those are things she has been doing for a long time.”

Miller notched four quick points on the following three possessions to finish off the opening scoring barrage.

“They take a lot of pride in doing those things,” Junkermeier said regarding her team’s zone offense. “It’s really been the communication. I say it all the time, but it will make or break it. And I think that it’s getting better too.”

The Cardinals went on another scoring run following two free throws from Montevideo’s Addison Rodeberg. Kaylee Kloeckner and Madilyn Thompson opened the run with baskets as Fairmont rattled off 12 straight points to balloon its advantage to 29-2.

Fairmont finished the first half with a 13-4 scoring surge. Two foul shots from Miller and a pull-up jumper from Thompson had the Cardinals walking into the locker room sitting on a 44-14 lead. Miller and Kawecki combined for 20 points at the break.

3-pointers from Miller and Klanderud, along with a coast-to-coast layup from Kawecki, opened Fairmont’s lead to 55-15 to start the second half, prompting Montevideo head coach Kylee Heurung to call a timeout with 15:05 on the scoreboard.

Junkermeier’s team outscored the Thunderhawks 33-11 the rest of the way. Fairmont finished the game with assists on over half of its made field goals while draining 10 shots from beyond the arc.