By JIM LUTGENS
Publisher
It came down to free throws for the NRHEG boys’ basketball team at Faribault Bethlehem Academy Friday, Feb. 8. The Cardinals made most of theirs and the Panthers didn’t, resulting in a 49-40 loss for the locals, who fell to 8-12 overall.
“I liked our effort and energy tonight,” said NRHEG coach Isaiah Lundberg. “I thought we played much more aggressively than we had the last couple of games.”
Still, turnovers and missed easy shots led to an 11-point first-half deficit for the Panthers, who trailed 27-27 at halftime.
The Panthers played well to start the second half, according to Lundberg, whittling the lead while holding the Cardinals to just three points over the first nine minutes. NRHEG led 31-30 with a chance to widen it, but turnovers prevented it.
BA iced it with free throws, making 13 of 16 for the night, while the Panthers were 6-for-16.
“You can’t shoot that low of a percentage and expect to win,” said Lundberg. “Like I said, I liked our energy and effort tonight, which gave us a chance to win.”
Brady Agrimson topped the scoring chart for NRHEG with 17 points. Jacob Schuller scored 16, Blake Ihrke 3, Lonnie Wilson 2.
Jack Clark led BA with 18 points. Damon Trump scored 13.
The Panthers fell to 3-8 in conference play.