GIRLS BASKETBALL: Worthington overcomes Windom Area’s fast start

WINDOM — Worthington overcame Windom Area’s hot start during a 77-68 Southwest Conference girls basketball victory on Friday.

The Eagles built a 24-16 lead 10½ minutes into the first half, but watched it slip away as Ana Boever and Lydia Kemper sparked the Trojans with 10 consecutive points during a 20-2 run until 2 minutes, 58 seconds remained until halftime.

“We didn’t run the offense very well and we were settling for those outside looks, luckily Ana was hot with her shooting in the first half,” Worthington head coach Eric Lindner said. “We had some spurts, but it was a game that didn’t have much of a flow. We would take a big lead, but then make a sloppy play, put (Windom Area) at the free-throw line and it would be a seven- or eight-point game again”

Boever, who drained three of her four 3-pointers during the Trojans’ scoring spree, led Worthington with 19 points. Kemper, who handed WHS a 26-24 lead on a free-throw line jumper, ended up with 15 points before fouling out.

But before the Trojans could make their comeback, Worthington (4-0 overall, 2-0 SWC) had its hands full with Rachel Sorenson and Kelsey Hanefeld, who had seven points apiece as the Eagles grabbed a 21-14 lead.

Sorenson finished with a game-high 23 points for Windom Area (2-2 overall, 0-1 SWC). Hanefeld supplied 14 more.

Windom Area stretched its lead to eight points (24-16) after Holly Larson made a layup and went to the free-throw line to convert an old-fashioned 3-point play with 7½ minutes left in the first half.

Boever buried her first 3-pointer from the left wing before Kemper had the next three field goals for the Trojans —a right-wing 3-pointer, a backdoor layup and the jumper at the foul line that put Worthington ahead by two points (26-24) at the 5:24 mark.

But Boever was just warming up her shooting touch from long-range. She knocked down two straight 3-pointers and the Trojans added transition layups from Whitney Coriolan and Brooke Henning to lead 36-26.

“I was really disappointed with our effort,” Windom Area head coach Jeff Huska said. “I thought we have really played hard coming into this game by attacking Springfield and Tracy-Milroy-Balaton. We set the tone early-on, but then I didn’t see any passion.”

The Eagles, who converted 23 of 31 free throws in the game, could only counter at the foul line. Jasmine Carlson, Sorenson and Larson made six straight foul shots as Windom Area’s offense went 5:46 without a field goal.

“It was a sloppy game on our part because Windom Area did exactly what it wanted to do,” Lindner said. “They penetrated the lane and we put them at the free-throw line, where they shot really well.”

Baskets from Sorenson and Hanefeld helped the Eagles’ cause, but Boever dropped in her fourth 3-pointer of the first half to give Windom Area a six-point (40-34) deficit.

The Eagles could only get as close as three points (41-38) on Carlson’s 3-pointer, which narrowly beat the halftime buzzer. The Trojans maintained their lead throughout the entire second half.

“I thought we matched up quite well against Worthington,” Huska said. “If we could have fixed a few turnovers, it might have been different. We had 33 turnovers and (the Trojans) scored 18 points off of them.”

Worthington committed 25 turnovers in the game, but outrebounded the Eagles 37-32. K.C. Riley (12 points) topped the Trojans with six caroms.

Paige Gravenhof came close to a triple-double for WHS with 16 points, nine steals and eight assists. Boever also added nine steals.

The Trojans travel to play Jackson County Central at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, while the Eagles host Fairmont, also at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.

WORTHINGTON 77, WINDOM AREA 68

WORTHINGTON (4-0, 2-0): Boever 6 3-6 19, Henning 4 0-0 9, Kemper 5 2-4 15, Linder 2 2-4 6, Gravenhof 4 7-11 16, Riley 4 4-5 12, Coriolan 1 0-0 2, Alwal 0 0-0 0. Totals: 27 17-30 (57%) 77.

WINDOM AREA (2-2, 0-2): Hanefeld 7 0-0 14, Sorenson 5 11-14 23, Hanson 0 0-0 0, Elston 0 0-0 0, Symens 0 1-2 1, Petersen 2 1-2 5, Carlson 2 4-4 9, Larson 1 4-5 6, Hauge 4 2-4 10, Quiring 0 0-0 0. Totals: 21 23-31 (74%) 68.

Halftime: Worthington 41, Windom Area 38. 3-Point Goals: Worthington 7 (Boever 4, Henning, Kemper, Gravenhof); Windom 3 (Sorenson 2, Carlson). Total Fouls (Fouled Out): Worthington 24 (Kemper, Riley); Windom Area 19 (Sorenson).

Tags: sports, prep, girls, basketball, trojans, windom