Section 3AA south girls basketball: Tracy-Milroy-Balaton surges in second half

WINDOM - Sinking 17-of-21 free throws in the game, including 13-of-14 in the second half, the Tracy-Milroy-Balaton Panthers overcame a 31-22 halftime deficit and defeated Martin County West 62-53 Monday in a Section 3AA South girls basketball semifinal.
Kaylee Kirk, who got into foul trouble in the first half, scored 17 of her game-high 23 points after intermission as the Panthers - seeded No. 2 in the southern bracket - advanced to face top-seeded Pipestone Area Friday at 7 p.m. in Windom for the south title.
T-M-B outscored Martin County West 40-22 after intermission.
“Made up for the first half, I think,” T-M-B head coach Derek Ashbaugh said. “We talked about playing more defense and having more energy in the second half.”
T-M-B’s Sara Stoneberg got the half started off right with a 3-point shot, then Evy Dolan drained a bank shot on the team’s next possession. At 3:35 a Gabbie Gervais score underneath made it 49-42, and a Kirk bank shot at 3:05 upped the margin to 51-42.
Martin County West was unable to get an answering run.
With time running out, T-M-B’s Sydney Lanoue made two free throws to make the score 54-46 in T-M-B’s favor. The Mavericks got to within six on a shot at the perimeter from Whitney Smith, but they could get no closer, Kirk made five free throws in the final 1:20 to keep her team well out in front.
Kirk, a 5-3 sophomore guard, made 9-of-11 free throws in the game, and her nifty ballhandling and passing was instrumental in the outcome. Stoneberg finished with 12 points and Dolan had 10.
Reilly Geistfeld, a senior forward, led Martin County West with 20 points. Smith had 12.
The victory moves T-M-B to 24-3 on the 2015-16 season. Martin County West finishes at 18-6.
Ashbaugh agreed that the next game for the Panthers will be another stern test.
“Pipestone’s the No. 1 seed for a reason. We’re going to have our hands full. I hope we’re up to the challenge,” he said.
T-M-B 22 62
MC West 31 53