PIRATE GIRL’S BASKETBALL USES TOUGH DEFENSE TO BEAT BARNESVILLE

Talented underclassmen were all over the floor for both teams, but it was the upperclassmen that led the way in a Crookston Pirate girls basketball 43-30 victory over the Barnesville Trojans in a Section 8AA game played in Crookston on Senior Night.  It was only fitting that the Crookston seniors, Rachel Hefta and Kylie Solheim combined for 19 points and 9 rebounds in the game.

Crookston jumped out to a 9-3 lead with three points from Emma Borowicz and after a Barnesville three-pointer the Pirates Rachel Hefta had back-to-back baskets followed by a strong layup from Hayden Winjum and the Pirates led 9-3 with over eight minutes left in the half.  Barnesville made back-to-back threes to tie the game.  20 seconds later, Crookston responded with a Gretchen Theis three-pointer, but Barnesville answered with a three-pointer of their own to tie the game at 12.  Crookston played stellar defense in the final five minutes of the half and ended on an 8-2 run to take a 20-14 lead into halftime.  “We ran into a little bit of a lull in the middle of the half but we finished strong,” said Pirate Coach Darin Zimmerman. “It was a team effort at the end of the half because I could pick out any of the eight girls that played and talk about all the good things they did because they stepped up and did their part.  Defensively we were really good tonight.”

Crookston started the second half strong with another 8-2 run (16-4 run with the end of the first half into the second half) with three points from Hefta, two points from Solheim, a free throw for Borowicz and a basket from Dani Boyle for a 28-16 lead. “It was nice to start the second half strong,” said Coach Zimmerman.   Barnesville answered with 8-1 run to cut the Crookston lead to five points (29-24) with 10:21 left in the game.  The Pirates called a time out and they came out strong as the defense continued their lockdown style and held Barnesville to six points in the final 10 minutes and had five different players score and even though Crookston didn’t shoot well from the free throw line most of the game, they made their last four free throw attempts (two from Hayden Winjum and two from Boyle) and held on for the 43-30 victory.  “We played really well defensively tonight.  The girls played strong and made adjustments when we needed,” said Coach Zimmerman. “Dani Boyle, Hayden Winjum, and Emma Borowicz did a nice job for us on the defensive end and Rachel Hefta and Kasey Cwikla plugged the middle and it was an all-around team effort on the defensive end.  It is the second game in a row we have played outstanding defense.”

Crookston improves to 13-10 on the year and will host Thief River Falls at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, a game you can hear on KROX.  Barnesville, who was without their head coach Ryan Bomstad after his mother passed away, drops to 8-15 on the year.

Pirate Girls Basketball vs Barnesville

1 of 9