#7 RANKED PERHAM USES TOUGH DEFENSE AND SOLID POST PLAY TO BEAT PIRATE GIRLS BBALL

The Crookston Pirate Girls Basketball team couldn’t handle the #7 ranked Perham Yellowjackets’ stellar defense, or their outstanding Junior post, Willow Thiel as the Yellowjackets cruised to a 65-45 victory in a Section 8AA game played in Perham. 

FIRST HALF – 
Crookston had a good start to the game, with Halle Winjum hitting a free throw line jump shot for a 2-0 lead one minute into the game.  Unfortunately for the Pirates, Perham picked up the defensive pressure and looked inside to its outstanding junior post player, Willow Thiel.  Perham scored the next eight points of the game, and all of them were on great moves in the post by Thiel for an 8-2 lead.  Crookston finally scored again when Libby Salentine had a nice aggressive take to the basket to bring the Pirates within an 8-4 deficit with 9:32 left in the half.  
Perham started another run with a basket from Kate Anderson, and back-to-back baskets from Thiel for a 14-4 lead.  Salentine stopped the run for Perham as she scored another basket.  After a Perham basket, Winjum and Joey Nesseth scored to bring Crookston within an 18-10 deficit.  Perham outscored Crookston 10-3 in the final four minutes of the half and took a 28-13 lead into halftime.  Willow Thiel scored 16 first-half points, which was three points better than the entire Crookston team

SECOND HALF – 
Perham started the half on a 9-0 run for a 37-13 lead before Crookston’s Halle Winjum got things going offensively with a three-pointer, a three-point play, and a free throw to get within a 37-20 deficit three minutes into the half.  
Perham built a 48-26 lead halfway through the half when Emma Gunderson made a three-pointer, and Borowicz added a free throw to get within a 48-30 deficit.  Crookston wasn’t able to get any closer as Perham kept the lead around 20 points and won the game 65-45. It was a good game, although we were quite sluggish to start and our defensive intensity dropped a bit in the second half,” said Perham head coach T.J. Super, ” Willow played very well, with 30 points and 11 rebounds. She did a really good job splitting the double team all night. Mya added 15 points and 3 assists. She missed her first 3 shots before making her last 5 three point attempts. Kennedy Pilgrim did a great job adding to the Perham rebound total with 7 rebounds, an area that we beat up on the Pirates. Overall it was a good win against one of the best teams in the north half of the Section.”

Crookston drops to 4-4 on the year.  Perham improves to 8-1 on the season.

COACH ZIMMERMAN’S COMMENTS ARE BELOW