The Crookston Pirate Girls Basketball team started the game on a 22-2 run and cruised the rest of the way on their way to a 68-21 victory in a game played in Crookston.
FIRST HALF –
Crookston started the game on a 20-2 lead with Emma Osborn having the hot hand early while scoring 12 of the team’s first 14 points. “Emma was ready to go and it showed tonight,” said Pirate Coach Darin Zimmerman. “She was solid offensively and defensively and she really got us going.” Halle Winjum was the other Pirate to score a basket in that stretch before Hayden Winjum had back-to-back steals for baskets. Abby Borowicz followed with two straight baskets for the 202-2 lead. In the run, Crookston senior, Hayden Winjum broke the school record with her second steal of the game for the 389th of her career, breaking Kamille Wahlin’s record. “It was fortunate to be at home and it was special that Kamille was able to be at the game to pass the torch over to Hayden,” said Coach Zimmerman. “It is an incredible record. 388 is a lot of steals, so for Hayden to set that is a testament to her ability and the teammates she has played with.”
Bagley stopped the run by the Pirates with a Hillary Maruska basket, but Crookston’s Emma Gunderson answered with back-to-back three-pointers for a 28-4 lead. “Emma had an outstanding game at Hawley and carried it over into this game,” said Coach Zimmerman. “She is a hard worker and it is paying off.” Crookston had a 34-8 lead when they when on a 14-0 run behind an Ally Perreault basket, another three-pointer from Emma Osborn, Halle Winjum, Perreault, and Osborn added baskets and Bailey Cameron buried a three for 48-8 lead with 2:32 left in the half. The Pirate starters didn’t play the rest of the game. Crookston took a 53-17 lead into halftime. “It was great team basketball,” said Coach Zimmerman. “We had open looks and it is amazing what happens when you move the ball around like we did. Bailey shot really well tonight. It was fun to see her shoot well and a good way to end the half.”
Neither team committed a foul in the first half!!
SECOND HALF –
Crookston didn’t play the starters in the second half and Bailey Cameron continued her fantastic game with back-to-back baskets to give the Pirates a 57-13 lead. “We wanted to maintain solid pressure in the second half,” said Coach Zimmerman. “We needed to work on our spacing too.” Crookston outscored Bagley in the second half by a 15-8 margin and some of the highlights in the second half were Ellie Nesseth grabbing seven rebounds, Cameron scoring a total of 13 points, a career-high, and she also had five steals. “Ellie did a great job of putting a body on somebody to get the rebounds,” said Coach Zimmerman. “That rebounding number doesn’t surprise me because she played well tonight.”
Crookston cruised to a 68-21 victory. “It was a solid game and now we have a little time to get ready for Fergus Falls,” said Coach Zimmerman.
Crookston improves to 4-2 on the year and will be off until December 28 when they play Fergus Falls in the first round of the Fergus Falls Holiday invitational. Bagley drops to 2-7 on the year.
| 1st | 2nd | Final | |
| Bagley | 13 | 8 | 21 |
| CROOKSTON | 53 | 15 | 68 |
| For CROOKSTON | Points | Rebounds | Assists/Steals |
| Emma Osborn | 17 | 3 | 2 assists |
| Bailey Cameron | 13 | 2 | 5 steals |
| Emma Gunderson | 10 | 2 steals | |
| Halle Winjum | 7 | 4 | 4 steals/3 assists |
| Hayden Winjum | 6 | 3 | 6 steals/4 assists |
| Abby Borowicz | 4 | 3 | 2 assists |
| Ally Perreault | 4 | 2 steals | |
| Ellie Nesseth | 4 | 7 | |
| Jenna Coauette | 3 |
| For Bagley | Points |
| Hillary Maruska | 6 |
| Kira Thompson | 6 |
| Kathryn Agnew | 3 |
| Shayla Hvezda | 2 |
| Isabella Warmbold | 2 |
| Shelby Nepean | 2 |
