By JIM LUTGENS
Editor/Publisher
An eight-game winning streak was snapped for the NRHEG girls’ basketball team last week.
The Panthers played well for half but fell short in their Gopher Conference showdown at Waterville Thursday. The next night, they traveled to Mankato Loyola and absorbed a 68-60 setback. NRHEG fell to 17-6 overall, 7-3 in conference.
WEM 65, NRHEG 48
With snow days last week, NRHEG only had one day to discuss and break down scout infoormation on WEM, instead of the three days originally planned.
“With that being said, we did a nice job in the first half attacking the basket and went in at the half being down 32-34 on a buzzer beater from Kendall,” said coach Onika Peterson.
The Panthers came out in the second really wanting to focus on plugging up the inside, trying to take away drives and dishes to their post players.“That is definitely an area we need to fix because they killed us in the second on it,” said Peterson. “Along with their four threes hit by Winter and Masberg.”
Individually for NRHEG: Marnie Wagner 19 points, nine rebounds; Maddie Wagner 12 points, six rebounds, four assists, four steals; Rachel Collins seven points, three rebounds; Kaylie Camerer seven points, two rebounds; Kelly Harden three points; Sophia Fischer two points, two rebounds; Hailey Schuller two rebounds.
“We are hoping to see them again in the playoffs,” said Coach Peterson. “It's always hard to beat a team three times and playoffs would be the most important win to get.”
WEM won the junior varsity game, 40-32.
Loyola 68, NRHEG 60
The Panthers played well coming off the loss to WEM but dropped a nonconference contest at Mankato.
Loyola’s defense forced 19 turnovers, including a second-half stretch in which the Panthers’ shots were not falling while the Crusaders’ were.
“When we got down seven with four minutes left, it was hard to climb out of the hole,” said Peterson.
Individually: Maddie Wagner 18 points, 10 rebounds, four assists; Collins 14 points, six rebounds, three assists; Schuller 12 points, five rebounds; Marnie Wagner seven points, 12 rebounds, three assists; Fischer four points, five rebounds; Harden five points.
NRHEG’s JV won, 52-51.