CROOKSTON GIRL’S BASKETBALL KNOCKS OFF #1 RANKED HANCOCK

The Crookston Pirate Girls Basketball team trailed by seven points with over three minutes left but finished the game playing outstanding basketball and came from behind to beat the #1 ranked (Class A) Hancock Owls in the first round of the Fergus Falls Holiday Classic.  Crookston had three players in double figures in the game but used their outstanding defense in the final minutes to win the game.

FIRST HALF –
Crookston struggled shooting for the first seven minutes of the game, and Hancock built an 8-0 lead.  Crookston finally got on the board with an Emma Gunderson three-pointer with 10:52 left in the half.  Abby Borowicz followed with a three-point play on the next possession to bring the Pirates within an 8-6 deficit almost halfway through the half.
The teams exchanged baskets, and Hancock led 14-8 before Crookston went on a 5-0 run with a free throw from Halle Winjum and back-to-back baskets for Gunderson, and the Pirates trailed 14-13 with over four minutes to go.
Hancock answered with a couple of big-time three-pointers from Kaitlyn Staples for a 22-14 lead.  Crookston wanted to finish the half strongly and had a nice drive for a layup from Winjum and a three-pointer from the corner from Borowicz to get within a 22-19 deficit.  Hancock made a basket before the buzzer and took a 24-19 lead into halftime.

SECOND HALF –
Hancock came out strong in the second half, scoring the first three points before Crookston got on the board with a Winjum free throw over three minutes into the half.  Winjum followed with a basket, and after a Hancock basket, Winjum added a three-pointer, and Smith scored two bringing the Pirates within a 29-28 deficit six minutes into the half.  Crookston tied the game for the first time, at 31-31, before Hancock went on a run to take a 43-35 lead halfway through the half.
As they did all game long, Crookston battled back with a mini-run with two Borowicz free throws, a basket from Winjum, and a three-pointer from Gunderson to get within a 43-42 deficit.  Hancock answered with a run of their own to take a 50-43 lead with 3:25 left in the game.  Crookston composed themselves once again, and Winjum buried a three-pointer. Borowicz added a basket, Winjum stole the ball and went in for a layup, and on the next defensive series, Winjum stole the ball again and got a long pass up to Smith for a layup, and Crookston took their first lead of the game, 52-50, with 1:25 left.  Hancock tied the game with two free throws before Borowicz scored in the paint for a 54-52 Pirate lead.  Hancock answered with two more free throws before Borowicz had a nice move in the paint and hit a left-hand shot for a 56-54 lead with 3.3 seconds remaining.  Hancock had a great play drawn up and got a layup attempt on a backdoor cut to draw a foul on the shot.  Hancock had one of its better players at the line, and she made the first shot but missed the second shot, and Crookston held on for a 56-55 victory to upset the Owls.

The Pirate Girls win their fourth straight game and improve to 4-2 on the year and will either play Fergus Falls or Detroit Lakes at 2:00 or 5:00 p.m. on Thursday.
Hancock drops to 4-1 on the year.

COACH ZIMMERMAN’S COMMENTS ARE BELOW –