Crookston Pirate Girls Basketball runs out of gas late, falls to RLCC

The Crookston Pirate Girls Basketball team took a second-half lead, but were unable to maintain it, and the Red Lake County Central Mustangs were able to pull away for a 76-64 victory over the Pirates at the Crookston High School Gymnasium on Monday night.

FIRST HALF –
As the game started, the trend of the game became very clear; consistent fouls and turnovers would slow the pace. The game started very messy, with the Mustangs having a 3-2 lead with 3 minutes already past in the half. Then, both teams began exchanging baskets and free throws until the Pirates had an 11-10 lead, after a 3-pointer from Halle Nicholas. After that, the Mustangs took off on a 9-0 run to go up 19-11. The Pirates would continue to claw back, getting 3-pointers from Grace and Chloe Boll, and many second chances from offensive rebounds from Brooklyn Waldal, but after the Pirates cut the lead down to 26-22, the Mustangs responded with a 10-3 run to take a 36-25 advantage. Though both teams combined for 20 fouls in the first half, there were more free throws missed than made, which kept the gap around the same number for the rest of the half. Ultimately, the Pirates would be trailing 42-35 as the game went into the halftime break.

SECOND HALF –
The Mustangs opened up the second half with two quick threes in the first 20 seconds, one from Paradis and one from Halvorsen, and that put them up 48-35. The Pirates needed an answer, and they found one, playing their best basketball of the game as they went on a 15-1 run. Chloe and Grace Boll began to take over, scoring at will and getting to the line, ultimately giving the Pirates a 50-49 lead with 11:36 to play. However, the Mustangs had a response ready. After Emma Hendrickson’s 3-pointer, which were the only bench points of the game from either side, put the Mustangs back in front, they took of to a 58-50 lead. After the Pirates cut the gap down to 1 at 58-57, the last laugh was had by the Mustangs, as they ended the game on an 18-7 run to pull away in the final 5:23, beating the Pirates 76-64.

Crookston drops to 0-2 on the season, while RLCC improves to 3-0.
JV – Crookston won 18-9 (half-game)

Madi Bruggeman

Brooklyn Waldal

Nora Groven

Teagan Fanfulik

Grace Boll

Madi Bruggeman

Brooklyn Waldal

Nora Groven

Teagan Fanfulik

Grace Boll

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