The Crookston Pirate Girl’s Basketball team used a 14-0 run late in the game to come from behind to earn a hard-fought win over the Virginia Blue Devils in a game played in Virginia.
FIRST HALF-
Crookston started the scoring with an Ally Perreault three-pointer for an early 3-0 lead. Virginia scored their first points of the game over three minutes into the contest with a three-pointer to tie the game with 14:40 left in the half in a defensive battle early. Crookston responded with a Halle Winjum three-pointer for a 6-3 lead. The teams exchanged baskets and Virginia tied the game at 8 with 11:13 left in the half. Crookston responded with a 5-0 run with a basket from Abby Borowicz and a three-point play from Hayden Winjum and a 13-8 lead. A few minutes later, Crookston led 15-11 when Virginia went on a 5-0 run to take their first lead of the game (16-15) halfway through the half. Virginia led 19-17 when Perreault made two free throws and Borowicz added a basket to give Crookston a 21-19 lead. Crookston led 23-20 when Emma Lamppa made back-to-back three-pointers for a 26-23 lead with less than three minutes remaining in the half. “It took us a while to get used to the physical play of Virginia,” said Pirate Coach Darin Zimmerman. “After we got used to it, we started to play better.” Crookston trailed 28-25 when Perreault made a basket in the paint for her ninth point of the game to bring the Pirates within a 28-27 deficit going into halftime. “Ally had a great game,” said Coach Zimmerman. “She was playing well on the offensive end and the defensive end and gave us a nice spark.”
SECOND HALF-
Crookston’s Emma Osborn didn’t score a point in the first half, but it didn’t take long for her to reach double-figures in the second half as she started the half by scoring the first 11 points in two minutes. Osborn started with a back-to-back three-pointers, then a layup, followed by another three-pointer and Crookston led 38-28 two minutes into the half. “Emma is a very good shooter,” said Coach Zimmerman. “Actually, Emma’s dad noticed that every shot she missed her feet weren’t pointing at the basket so she made sure they were tonight and she made some big shots for us.”
Virginia battled back and went on a 16-4 run over a six-minute span to take a 44-42 lead with 9:24 remaining. Crookston’s Osborn answered with a big three-pointer to regain the lead, but Virginia battled back and built a 54-49 lead with under six minutes left in the game. Crookston had a big spark from Hayden Winjum on the defensive end as she had a steal and scored a basket and was fouled. She missed the free throw, but got her own rebound and scored two more points. The four points sparked a huge 14-0 run over a four minutes span for the Pirates. Osborn followed with a basket, Halle Winjum added a three-pointer and then made the play of the game as she knocked the ball away from a Virginia player and dove for the ball at halfcourt, got the ball to a teammate and Osborn buried a three-pointer for a 61-54 lead. “That was a huge momentum play with a gritty play by Halle,” said Coach Zimmerman. “She passed the ball up and got the ball to Emma and she made the shot. That was a big play.” In the next minute, the Pirates capped the 14-0 run with a free throw from Hayden Winjum and another free throw from Borowicz for a 63-54 lead with one minute left. “Ultimately it was a gutty performance and we picked up the ball pressure and made some big shots,” said Coach Zimmerman. ” Crookston held on to win the game 65-56. Emma Osborn led the Pirates with 22 points, all of them in the second half.
Crookston improves to 8-2 on the year and will travel to Hermantown on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. You can hear the game on KROX Radio. Virginia falls to 7-7 on the year.
| 1st | 2nd | Final | |
| CROOKSTON | 27 | 38 | 65 |
| Virginia | 28 | 28 | 56 |
| For CROOKSTON | Points | Rebounds | Assists/Steals |
| Emma Osborn | 22 | 4 | 3 steals |
| Hayden Winjum | 14 | 4 | 6 steals/4 assists |
| Ally Perreault | 11 | 5 | |
| Halle Winjum | 8 | 4 | 5 assists/4 steals |
| Abby Borowicz | 7 | ||
| Emma Gunderson | 2 |
| For Virginia | Points |
| Emma Lamppa | 17 |
| Anna Fink | 12 |
| Rian Aune | 8 |
| Aleksia Tollefson | 4 |
| Erin Haerer | 3 |
| Lexi Lamppa | 3 |
| Maija Lamppa | 3 |
| Macy Westby | 2 |
WE (CHRIS) ACCIDENTALLY DELETED THE PICTURES HE TOOK AT THE GAME. SORRY FOR THE INCONVENIENCE!!!!!!
