The young Climax-Fisher Knights had a decent start to the game, but the Red Lake County Central Mustangs used a big run in the first half to pull away for a big lead and cruise to a 63-28 victory in a game played in Plummer. Climax-Fisher started a senior, three sophomores, one freshman, and played two eighth-graders and two seventh-graders.
FIRST HALF –
Red Lake County Central (RLCC) opened up the season with a loss against Grygla-Goodridge on Monday night and you could tell they had a game under their belt because they started the game on an 8-1 run behind Carlee Whalen’s five points and Cari Bachand’s three points. Climax-Fisher got their first basket of the season when Ava Larson made a three-pointer to bring the Knights within an 8-4 deficit with 12:24 remaining in the half. RLCC scored the next five points before Larson answered with another basket to bring the Knights within a 13-6 deficit with 10:14 left. Climax-Fisher’s Trinity Erickson, the only senior in the starting lineup, had three fouls and had to sit on the bench the rest of the half and that hurt the Knights as RLCC went on a 21-3 run over the next six minutes to take a 34-9 lead. “When Trinity is sitting on the bench with 12 minutes left in the half, that is pretty rough,” said Knight Coach Adrianna Rooney. “It didn’t help that Danika Motl was right behind her too. So we had two starters on the bench in foul trouble and with a young team, that didn’t help at all.” Climax-Fisher’s Teegan Johnson, a seventh-grader, had a nice turnaround jumper off the glass for the first basket of her varsity career to stop the run and bring the Knights within a 34-11 deficit. RLCC continued their solid play and took a 40-15 lead into halftime. “We told the girls to flush the first half,” said Coach Rooney. “We told them to play like they are capable in the second half.”
SECOND HALF-
RLCC scored the first basket of the second half before Climax-Fisher responded with baskets from Erickson and Halle Reitmeier to get within a 42-19 deficit. RLCC answered with a 14-0 run to take a 56-19 lead with 9:37 left in the game and that forced running time. Another first for the Knights happened with 7:27 left in the game as Lucy Paulsrud, a seventh-grader, made her first varsity basket with a little runner bank-shot off the glass from the baseline, but it wasn’t enough as the Mustangs won the game 63-28. “That was a tough game,” said Coach Rooney. “We have a lot to work on and look forward to practicing the rest of the week. I was happy with the girl’s play in the second half because they played much better.”
Climax-Fisher was led by Ava Larson with 11 points and 15 rebounds and drops to 0-1 on the year. RLCC improves to 1-1 on the season.
| 1st | 2nd | Final | |
| Climax-Fisher | 15 | 13 | 28 |
| Red Lake County Central | 40 | 23 | 63 |
| For Climax-Fisher | Points | Rebounds | Assists/Steals |
| Ava Larson | 11 | 15 | 2 assists |
| Halle Reitmeier | 7 | 3 | 2 assists |
| Trinity Erickson | 4 | 5 | |
| Lucy Paulsrud | 2 | ||
| Teegan Johnson | 2 | ||
| Aliana Sanchez | 2 |
| For Red Lake County Central | Points |
| Cari Bachand | 21 |
| Carlee Whalen | 17 |
| Marissa Thomas | 14 |
| Shawna Majeres | 5 |
| Carly Vettleson | 4 |
| Maddie Inda-Valdez | 1 |
| Evelyn Klamm | 1 |
