With two more victories, NRHEG girls extend historic streaks
By DALE KUGATH
Sportswriter
The New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva girls’ basketball team continued a path of destruction on the way to a repeat state championship.
The Panthers destroyed Waterville-Elysian-Morristown and Blooming Prairie, both on the road, to continue on its winning ways.
NRHEG, the top-ranked team in Class AA, is 14-0 in the Gopher, 23-0 this season and owns a 53-game winning streak.
The Panthers have locked up a seventh consecutive Gopher Conference crown.
WEMWATERVILLE – NRHEG showed its 73-39 triumph over WEM in their first meeting was no fluke, dismantling the Bucs 83-48 in Waterville Feb. 11.
Gabe Hauer’s Bucs fell to 8-4 in the Gopher and 15-6 overall.
“I thought we shot the ball pretty well tonight,” said NRHEG coach John Schultz. “We shot 52 percent behind the arc. Jade (Schultz) and Carlie (Wagner) combined to hit 10-16 threes.”
The Panthers were cruising by halftime, holding a 44-17 advantage.
NRHEG shot 48 percent from the field. The Panthers hit 10-18 threes and 9-11 free throws.
Carlie Wagner nailed six three-pointers on the way to a 42-point evening. She connected on 17 of 28 field goals. Schultz scored 12 points on four three-pointers. Marnie Wagner scored seven points, one more than sister Maddie.
Others: Hannah Lundberg five points, Anna Stork four, Kelli Harrington two, Paige Overgaard two, Kaylie Camerer two.
Schultz handed out six assists, Marnie Wagner dished out five and Carlie Wagner and Maddie Wagner passed out four apiece.
WEM hit 36 percent of its shots from the floor. The Bucs were 5-16 behind the arc and 16 of 28 from the charity stripe.
Hannah Steinhaus and Kalley Kendall scored 13 points apiece for WEM. Tierney Winter and Erika Olson chipped in with nine apiece.
NRHEG managed a 27 to 19 rebounding advantage, including 11-5 on the offensive boards.
Carlie Wagner and Schultz led the Panthers with six rebounds apiece.
Steinhaus grabbed six boards for the Buccaneers.
WEM turned the ball over 24 times, twice as many as the Panthers.
Stork and Maddie Wagner had three steals apiece for NRHEG.
“Stork came off the bench and did well in all our stats,” said Schultz. “She had some great defensive plays.”
Grant Berg’s JV won 53-41.
Blooming Prairie
BLOOMING PRAIRIE – Carlie Wagner sparked a first-half surge as NRHEG bounced Blooming Prairie 74-43 in Blooming Prairie Friday.
BP fell to 11-3 (2nd) in the conference and 16-6 overall.
Carlie Wagner exploded for 27 points against the Blossom zone in the first half, sparking NRHEG to a 43-17 margin.
Three Panthers found their way into double figures. Carlie Wagner led the way with 38 points, hitting four treys. Maddie Wagner nailed three triples in an 11-point evening. Schultz buried two three-pointers and scored 10 points.
Others: Lundberg five points, Camerer two, Harrington two, Stork two, Overgaard two, Marnie Wanger two.
Carlie Wagner and Schultz both dished out six assists.
The Panthers connected on 36 percent of their fielders.
Taylor Hagen, BP’s all-time career scoring leader, topped the Blossoms with 21 points.
Blooming Prairie hit only 25 percent of its shots.
“Carlie really attacked their zone in the first half. Maddie also had an excellent night for us,” said Schultz. “Paige (Overgaard) did a good job of securing our middle and Kelli (Harrington) did a nice job on the boards.”
NRHEG came away with a 31 to 21 rebounding advantage.
“With our big lead, we didn’t focus as much on rebounding in the second half,” said Schultz.
Carlie Wagner pulled down eight rebounds.
Maddie Wagner snared six boards, with Schultz, Harrington and Hannah Lundberg all grabbing five rebounds.
Blooming Prairie was forced into 25 miscues, 10 more than the Panthers.
The Panther JV lost its second game of the season, falling to the Blossoms 32-29.
Southland comes to town for a non-conference game tonight.
The Panthers entertain Fairmont in their final regular season home game Monday.