Wabasso tops GFW in OT

Fennern hits trey at end of regulation

By FRITZ BUSCH

Journal Staff Writer

WINTHROP -- Sophomore Andrea Fennern canned a 3-pointer with two seconds left in regulation time helping Wabasso top Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop 62-52 in overtime Friday.

The 15-3 Rabbits dominated overtime play to win with ease after trailing the entire first half. Senior Nicole Black hit one of two free throws with eight seconds left to give the 11-3 Thunderbirds a 51-48 lead.

But Fennern gave Wabasso new life. She hit five of six free throws in overtime.

"That three was incredible," Wabasso Coach Neil Dolan said. "You try and draw it up and take it. Sometimes you need to be a little lucky and we were. The girls played a heckuva second half."

Down 31-21 after two periods, Wabasso used a 1-2-2 full-court zone defense -- called a triangle-and-two by Dolan -- that gave GFW fits in the second half.

"We shut them down inside in the second half," Dolan said. "Fennern and (Chelsey) Wegner played great as did (Katie) Schumacher and (Ashley) Prokosch."

Schumacher finished the game with 15 rebounds. The night before, luck was on the other side as Wabasso lost 47-45 in overtime to Tracy-Milroy. Prokosch kept Wabasso in the game early, scoring her team's first six points while GFW took an 11-6 lead, breaking the Rabbit press with ease. Ashley Busch's three-point-play put the Thunderbirds up 18-8.

Emily Van Hon's deuce made it 20-8 as GFW had good ball movement early. The Thunderbirds had trouble getting the ball up the floor in the third period. Wegner's basket gave Wabasso its first lead at 37-36. Jessica Van Loy's trey put the Rabbits up 43-38. Black canned a pair of treys and Busch's free throw tied the score at 45. Van Loy fouled out with 2:31 left but Fennern stepped up and did her heroics. Busch fouled out with 1:04 left and the score tied at 47. Van Hon's basket put GFW up 49-48.

Alisha Kruggel and Black each hit a free throw in the closing seconds giving GFW a three point lead. The Thunderbirds won the "B" game, 39-33. Megan Ahlbrecht scored 11 points for GFW.

GFW 20 11 5 15 1 -- 52

Wabasso 10 11 14 16 11 -- 62

Wabasso -- Wegner 3 0 6, Van Loy 4 1 5 11, Grunewald 1 0 2, Schumacher 6 1 13, Fennern 1 1 8 13, Plaetz 1 3 5 5, Prokosch 7 0 14. Totals 23 2 12-23 64.

GFW -- Jackson 0 1 3, Kruggel 6 2-4 14, Black 4 0 12, Vorwerk 2 2 8, Van Hon 3 0 6, Busch 3 3 9. Totals 16 4 8-19 23 52.

MVL 57, St. Mary's 36

NEW ULM ­ Minnesota Valley Lutheran outrebounded Sleepy Eye St. Mary's 36-16 Friday night, coasting to victory in Tomahawk Conference girls' basketball action.

MVL jumped out to a 19-8 first-quarter lead and continued to dominate the entire game. Eva Voss had 12 points and seven rebounds, Allie Krenz had 12 points, and Kelsey Black dropped 10 points and grabbed nine rebounds. The Chargers had 22 steals.

Raina Walter led St. Mary's with 12 points.

MVL improves to 10-2 in the conference, 13-5 overall, and faces Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton tonight.

St. Mary's (6-9, 4-7) hosts Cedar Mountain Monday.

Springfield 44, Sleepy Eye 40

SPRINGFIELD ­ Springfield's Kim Weedman dropped 22 points on visiting Sleepy Eye Friday night as the Tigers edged the Indians in Tomahawk conference girls' basketball action.

Springfield had a 14-point lead heading into the half but watched as Sleepy Eye outscored them 15-6, in the third quarter. Charlotte McMullen led the Indians with 14 points.

Sleepy Eye shot 0-5 from the free-throw line, and Springfield shot 18-35.

The Tigers (6-8, 3-8) travels to Wabasso Tuesday. The Indians fall to 2-9 in the Tomahawk, 4-11 overall, and host MVL Tuesday.

Waseca 59, NU 43

NEW ULM -- Waseca defeated New Ulm 59-43 Friday in South Central Conference girls basketball action.

Coresa Leighty scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds and Megan Oberle scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds.

The Eagles shot 16-of-54 from the field and 11-and-18 from the line. Staci Beckel led the Bluejays with 13 points and Meghan Conway had 12.

New Ulm (3-10, 1-6) hosts New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva Tuesday.

Nicollet 55, Madelia 40

MADELIA -- Clarissa Swenson scored 17 points in Nicollet's 55-40 Valley Conference win over Madelia Friday.

Shannon Renne scored 12 for the Raiders. For Madelia, Cali Hines had 11 points, and Mary Jacobs had six rebounds and four steals.

Madelia (3-14, 1-8) play Tuesday at Maple River in Mapleton. The Raiders (4-2, 6-6) hosts Granada-Huntley-East Chain Tuesday.

Cathedral 56, McLeod West 41

BROWNTON -- Nikki Fischer led Cathedral with 19 points as the Greyhounds defeated McLeod West Friday night in a girls' Tomahawk Conference basketball matchup.

The Greyhounds opened with a 23-9 first-quarter cushion.

Crystal Schutte led the Falcons with 14 points and 11 rebounds and Kim Plamann added 13 points in the loss.

Cathedral hosts Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop on Monday, and McLeod West travels to Buffalo Lake-Hector on Monday.

BLH 49, Cedar Mountain 42, OT

MORGAN -- The Buffalo Lake-Hector girls held Cedar Mountain to just two points in overtime to come out on top in the Tomahawk Conference game Friday.

Leah Ashburn led the Mustangs with 16 points. Monica Ashburn had nine points, and Kristen Raitz had eight. Katie Gewerth and Samantha Madsen each had 10 points for the Cougars. Amanda Hoffbeck grabbed eight rebounds.

The Cougars (9-6, 6-5) is at St. Mary's Monday; the Mustangs (10-5, 6-5) host McLeod West Monday.