TRF USES SOLID DEFENSE AND WALDAL’S 20 POINTS TO BEAT PIRATE GIRLS HOOPS

The Crookston Pirate Girls Basketball team opened up the season with a lead at halftime, but the Thief River Falls Prowlers’ aggressive defense and solid play inside by sophomore post Avah Waldal was the difference as the Prowlers came away with a 54-50 win in Crookston.

FIRST HALF – 
Crookston started the game with a Halle Winjum three-pointer before TRF scored four straight points to take their first lead.  Crookston’s Abby Borowicz gave the Pirates the lead with a basket and a 5-4 lead.  The teams continued to exchange points, and Crookston retook the lead on a Joey Nesseth three-point play for an 8-7 lead just shy of five minutes into the game. 
Thief River Falls started to pick up the defense and slowly built up a 23-18 lead with 2:51 left in the half.  Crookston responded with an Isabelle Smith three-pointer with 2:27 to go, and the basket sparked a 16-5 Pirate run to end the half.  Halle Winjum scored 13 of the 16 points, including a step-back three-pointer at the buzzer to give her team a 34-28 lead going into halftime.

SECOND HALF – 
Crookston’s Winjum started the second half with a basket, and after a Prowler free throw, the Pirates’ Emma Gunderson scored a basket for a 38-29 lead.  Crookston didn’t score a basket for over 9 minutes and only had one free throw in that time, while TRF went on an 8-1 run, and Crookston’s lead was down to two points (39-37).  The teams exchanged baskets before Abby Borowicz buried a three-pointer, and Winjum had a steal and layup for a 46-39 lead with six minutes left.  Thief River Falls continued to battle back and took a 48-47 lead when Kendall Rantanen scored her first points of the game on a three-pointer at the top of the key, followed by a nice move by Josie Peterson for a basket, and the Prowlers led 48-47 with less than three minutes remaining.
Crookston regained the lead with two Borowicz free throws, only to have TRF’s Waldal make two free throws to take a 50-49.  On Crookston’s ensuing drive, they turned the ball over, and TRF’s Peterson scored again for a 52-49 lead.  Crookston got the ball back but turned it over again, leading to Rantanen making two free throws for a 54-49 lead with 1:23 to go.   Crookston’s Smith made a free throw with 51 seconds to go, but they couldn’t score another point, and Thief River Falls held on for a 54-50 victory. 

Crookston drops to 0-1 on the year and will travel to Red Lake Falls on Tuesday.  Thief River Falls improves to 2-1 on the year. 

To hear the post-game interview with Pirate Coach Darin Zimmerman, click below.

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