sports

HAWLEY NUGGETS HOLD PIRATE GIRLS BASKETBALL TO 28 POINTS IN WIN

January 29, 2024

The Crookston Pirate Girls Basketball team turned the ball over too many times and struggled in the rebounding department as the Hawley Nuggets pulled away for a 47-28 victory in a Section 8AA matchup played in Hawley.

FIRST HALF-
Hawley’s Isabel Steer scored the first basket of the game before Crookston countered with an Emma Gunderson basket and two Joey Nesseth free throws for a 4-2 lead two minutes into the game. Hawley answered with a basket before Crookston’s Katelyn Christensen made a three-pointer, and Chloe Boll added a basket for a 9-4 lead.
Hawley answered with a 10-0 run with five points apiece from Steer and Ingrid Rustad for a 14-9 lead. Crookston’s Isabel Smith and Gunderson made back-to-back three-pointers for a 15-14 lead with 5:21 in the half. Crookston only scored two points (Joey Nesseth free throws) the rest of the half, and Hawley scored nine points with four different players scoring as the Nuggets took a 23-17 lead into halftime.

SECOND HALF –
Hawley forced two Crookston turnovers at the start of the half and scored the first four points of the half. Crookston’s Smith responded with a three-pointer before Hawley added four more points for a 31-20 lead three minutes into the half. Crookston continued to struggle offensively with a bunch of turnovers. After the teams exchanged baskets, Hawley went on an 11-0 run with six points from Steer for a 44-23 lead. Crookston’s Brooklyn Waldal converted a three-point play, and Grace Boll made a free throw to bring the Pirates within a 44-27 deficit, but that was as close as they would get as Hawley won the game 48-27.
Isabel Steer led Hawley with 24 of their 48 points.

Crookston drops to 3-16 on the year and will host Wadena-Deer Creek on Saturday in another Section 8AA matchup. Hawley improves to 9-9 on the year.

CLICK HERE to listen to Coach Darin Zimmerman’s comments.