Although their offense didn’t get too far off the ground, the junior high Clipper girls hung with visiting Faribault Bethlehem Academy for the first half on Monday, only down by a basket at the break, but they couldn’t find a working formula in the second half and fell to the Cardinals 27-20.
Brylee Kortuem put in the second of two foul shots for the first basket of the game, but the Cardinals ran in a pair of layups after steals to lead 4-1.
Kylie Wobbrock (above) drove for a pair of layups, and Addie Sandhurst bagged a basket from near the foul line, but the Cardinals canned a basket from behind the arc to deadlock the game 7-7 before scoring after a Clipper turnover to lead by two.
Kenzie Kortuem launched a basket from the baseline, but the Cardinals did the same. Poised under the rim, Blair Voit took a Brylee Kortuem steal and long toss up for a bucket to stalemate the game 11-11 before Kenzie Kortuem cruised down the baseline and scored for a 2-point Clipper advantage.
But the Cards drove for a bucket and pulled down an O-rebound and scored for the final two baskets of the half and a 15-13 lead at the break.
A Wobbrock layup was the first basket of the second half, but the B.A. scored the next three to lead 21-15. Sandhurst added a basket, but with three more buckets, the Cards widened their lead. Brylee Kortuem dropped in an outside basket and made a free throw for the game’s last basket, but, with the Cards on a stealing streak, that was it for the Clipper scoring.
Wobbrock led the effort with six points. Brylee Kortuem added five points. Sandhurst and Kenzie Kortuem each contributed four points. Voit chipped in a bucket. The Clippers were successful in two of their 10 free throws. The Cards were 0-1 from the foul line.
Sometimes split into two teams, sometimes combined, the junior high girls will return to action on January 5 when they road trip to Le Sueur. The following Thursday, they head to Alden. On Saturday, they host a seventh and eighth-grade tournament.
B.A. defenders confront Brienna Groebner.
Brylee Kortuem drives to the hoop.
Emily Baker coils for a shot.
Addison Sandhurst dribbles around a defender.