The Climax-Fisher Knights boys basketball team battled, but ultimately fell to the Kelliher/Northome Mustangs 75-61 in a Section 8A matchup played in Fisher. It was senior night as the Knigts honored Gabe Wentzel.
FIRST HALF –
It was a slow start for both sides, as neither team scored in the first 2:30 of the game. The Mustangs started it with a three Billy Jack Schoenborn and rode that into a 7-4 lead at the 10-minute mark in the half. The Knights, down just a possession, had timely buckets from Tyler Evitts and Ty Torrence to claw back into the game and tie it at 18 minutes later. Kelliher/Northome answered that with a 10-0 scoring run over the next minute. The Mustangs full court press forced Climax-Fisher into turnovers, which helped Kelliher/Northome jump out in front. Climax-Fisher had a little gas left in the tank to end the half, as a few quick buckets helped the Knights come back with a 10-5 run to end the half. The aggression late in the half led to several players getting into foul trouble, including Ty Torremce, who had three fouls in the half. Kelliher/Northome led 33-28 going into the half.
SECOND HALF –
Unlike the first half, the Mustangs came out firing with a 9-1 run to begin the second. The game evolved into a back-and-forth match from there, with Evitts carrying the load for the Knights with 15 points in the half. Despite Climax-Fisher’s best efforts, Kelliher/Northome maintained a double-digit lead over the last 14 minutes. Both teams were cleaner on fouls overall, which meant there were few chances for the Knights to rally back. Stifling man defense from the Mustangs forced the Knights into several turnovers, and helped Kelliher/Northome grind out a 76-61 victory.
Climax-Fisher drops to 3-18 on the season and will play at Badger/Greenbush-Middle River on Tuesday. Northome-Kelliher improves to 11-11.
J.V. – Kelliher/Northome 50-47
| 1st | 2nd | Final | |
| Kelliher/Northome | 33 | 42 | 75 |
| Climax-Fisher | 28 | 33 | 61 |
| For Climax-Fisher | Points | Rebounds | Steals |
| Tyler Evitts | 22 | 16 | 2 |
| Dustin Carl | 15 | 9 | 2 |
| Gabe Wentzel | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Alex Reitmeier | 6 | 4 | 1 |
| Jace Motl | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| Sawyer Erickson | 5 | – | – |
| Jacer Davis | 2 | 3 | 1 |
| Branson Solheim | – | 2 | 1 |
| Tristen Schwartz | – | 1 | – |
| For Kelliher/Northome | Points |
| Billy Jack Schoenborn | 19 |
| Anthony Johnson | 17 |
| Jayden Lindley | 16 |
| Kanaan Forseen | 11 |
| Jordan Waldo | 6 |
| Kooper Owens | 2 |
| Logan Mastely | 2 |
| Austin Lyons | 2 |
