Thursday sports roundup: HL-O boys basketball team tops Ellsworth

Back-to-back three pointers by Eli Fest and one by Malaki Walker capped a 9-0 run for the Wildcats and gave them a 50-43 lead with 4:30 remaining. HL-O, which made 12-of-14 free throws, was able to sink six straight shots from the line in the final minute to clinch the win.

Walker scored 13 points for HL-O in the second half and finished with a game-high 18, while Fest who hit a clutch two-point field goal at the end of the first half, scored 15 points, along with four steals.  Ben Sheldahl contributed six points, 12 rebounds and four assists for the Wildcats (3-9, 1-4), who put eight players in the scoring column.

Seven players scored for Ellsworth, including double-digit performances from Brandon Kramer (14) and Grant Jansma (12), while Noah Kruse, Sam Kramer and Zach Buntjer each tallied eight points.

The Panthers (1-8, 1-4) held a couple of five-point leads in the first half and held a seven-point advantage, 36-29, early in the second half before HL-O rallied.

Ellsworth  22  58

HL-O 25  62

EDGERTON -- Westbrook-Walnut Grove was dominant as they eased passed Edgerton. The Charges had three boys score in double digits, Anthony Ross scored 22, Andrew Quade scored 15 and Ethan Mischke scored 12 points.

The Flying Dutchman’s top scorer was senior Trey Gilbertson who had 18 points, seven rebounds, and five blocks.

W-WG had 23 steals on the night, and forced 33 turnovers.

W-WG 50 79

Edgerton 18 31

FULDA -- Red Rock Central came back strong in the second half to win the game against Fulda.

The Falcons finished with three boys scoring in double digits. Sam Hansen scored 19, Spencer Halland scored 15 and Brady Rasmussen scored 13.

The Raiders top scorers were Zach Thier, and Dalton Slinger who finished with 11, and 10 points respectively.

RRC 27 59

Fulda 29 44

MOUNTAIN LAKE -- Mountain Lake Area finished with six boys over seven points, as it beat Adrian with a balanced scoring attack. Abraham Stoesz and Regan Syverson both finished with 12 points, and Spencer Khamvongsa had 10 points, and four assists.

The Dragons top scorers were seniors Ryan Wieneke with 21, and Skylar Polzine with 15.

The Wolverines’ longest run was 10-2 in the second half. MLA advances to 8-4 on the season, and 4-2 in the Red Rock conference. Adrian falls to 5-8 on the season and 4-5 in the Red Rock

Conference.

MLA 30 68

Adrian 31 58

EDGERTON -- Southwest Christian had four boys score in double digits as it beat Red Rock Conference competition Hills-Beaver Creek at home. Jacob Van Dam had 22, AJ Vanderby had 17, Trey Huisken had 14, and Logan Walhof scored 10.

Walhof also added 8 assists, and 5 rebounds.

Jax Wysong scored 22 points for the Patriots. Fellow Patriots Preston Wilhelmi and Josh Kueter added 16 and 9 points, respectively.   

SWC 39 87

H-BC 32 62

MADISON -- Caden Bjornjeld scored a game-high 24 points to lead Lac qui Parle Valley past Tracy-Milroy-Balaton.

Auston Bonn added 11 points for LQPV.

T-M-B was led by Moses Dolan, who finished with 14 points,10 rebounds and four assists. Fritz Landherr added 11 points and five rebounds. Lucas Gervais scored nine points.

T-M-B 23 55

LQPV 37 72

LUVERNE -- Behind a balanced scoring attack, Luverne earned a non-conference victory over Heron Lake-Okabena.

Five players scored in double figures for the Cardinals, led by Jadyn Anderson and Mallory Thorson, who each scored 18 points. Brooklynn Ver Steeg finished with 17, while Mackenzie Petersen (12) and Joci Oye (10) each notched double figures. Rachel Oftedahl had eight rebounds for the Cardinals  

Tessla Crowell had nine points to lead the Wildcats.

Heron Lake-Okabena 21 31

Luverne 48 86

MARSHALL -- Worthington earned a split in a triangular with Jackson County Central and Marshall.

The Trojans used four falls to defeat Jackson County Central 42-27.

However, WHS then suffered a 39-25 loss to Marshall.

“We know they are one of the teams to beat in the section,” WHS head coach Mark Prunty said of Marshall. “We will learn from it. They match up well against us and they are a balanced team.”

JCC started off the match with a 15-0 lead as Logan Butzon (106) won an 8-7 decision and Caleb Vancura (113) and Matthew Mohning (120) each won by fall.

After a Huskies forfeit at 126, Jacob Prunty answered with a fall for the Trojans at 132.

JCC’s Aaron Munoz won an 11-5 decision at 138 before Ethan Pavelko (145) won a 9-3 decision and Brayden Donkersloot (152) won by fall to give WHS two straight wins.

The Huskies answered back with two wins of their own as Jacob Tvinnereim (160) won by fall and Eli Edlin (170) earned a 1-0 decision.

However, that was the final victory of the match for JCC.

After a forfeit at 182, the Trojans’ Mason Byrne (195) won by fall, Jacob Neuberger (220) won by fall and Adam Russell (285) won a 2-1 decision to close out the victory.

Against the Tigers, Damon Schutz started with a fall for the Trojans at 106. Prunty picked up his second fall of the night at 126, while Pavelko won by fall at 145. Byrne had a 10-2 major decision at 182, and Marcon Herrera picked up a 9-7 victory at 195.

Minneota 35, TMB/WWG 30

TRACY -- In a matchup of two of southwest Minnesota's stronger Class A teams, Minneota edged Tracy-Milroy-Balaton/Westbrook-Walnut Grove.

Minneota fell behind in the match, 30-29, after the the 220-pound match as T-M-B/W-WG's Tyler Timm pinned the Vikings' Jackson Esping. But Minneota picked up a fall at 285 as Trent Esping pinned Sam Bauer in 1:28.

ST. JAMES -- Maria Contreras won three events and finished first in the all-around to lead Worthington to a victory over St. James.

The Trojans finished with a 142.2 as a team, while the Saints had a 100.95.

Contreras won the bars with an 8.8, the beam with a 9.3 and the floor with a 9.425. In the all-around, she had a 36.275 to finish first.

Gracia Elias was second on the bars with an 8.45, second in the vault with a 9.05 and third on the beam with an 8.9.

Mekyla Nystrom won the vault with an 9.075 and was third on the bars after scoring an 8.3. She was third on the floor with a 9.025.

Taylor Eggers was third on the vault with an 8.95 and second on the beam with an 8.95. Eggers was second in the all-around with a 34.65.

Abby Bristow was second on the floor with a 9.375.

The Worthington junior varsity team scored a 130.8 to also earn a victory.

Mia Nixon won the beam with an 8.6, while Elias won the floor with an 8.6. Claire Ludes and Bristow tied for first with an 8.9 on the vault, while Marlena Garza won the bars with a 7.9. Ludes’ score of 31.95 earned her a first-place finish in the all around.

WINDOM -- Trailing 5-1 with 15 minutes remaining, Windom Area wasn’t going down without a fight.

The Eagles scored three goals in the final 15 minutes, but came up a goal short against the Cardinals.

A Kyle Espenson goal (with Eli Becker assisting) gave the Eagles a 1-0 lead after the first period. However, RV answered with five straight goals. Axel Perrson and Luke Ryan each had two goals.

Becker started the flurry for the Eagles as Kyle Espenson and Alex Espenson had assists. Austin Fredin then scored with Mikal Anderson assisting before Kyle Espenson scored an unassisted goal.

Josiah Quintero made 22 saves in net for the Eagles.

Redwood Valley 0 3 2 -- 5

Windom Area 1 0 3 -- 4

FAIRMONT -- The Fairmont Cardinals edged the Worthington Trojans 4-3 in overtime as Hudson Artz scored with 6:36 remaining in the OT period.

Worthington scored twice in the second period on goals by Carlos Garcia-Villatoro and Anthony Fogelman. Bryce Olsen and Carter Honius had assists.

Then in the third period, the Trojans’ Eric Heidebrink scored on a power play goal. Tommy Bauman had the assist.

Worthington 0 2 1 0 -- 3

Fairmont 0 1 2 1 -- 4