sports

PIRATES GIRL’S BASKETBALL USES 23-2 RUN TO CRUISE PAST NCE/UH

February 16, 2023

The Crookston Pirate Girl’s Basketball team used a 23-2 run to start the game and cruised to a 61-43 victory over the Norman County East/Ulen-Hitterdal Titans in game played in Ulen.

FIRST HALF –
Crookston jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first four minutes of the game with Isabelle Smith making a three-pointer to kick off the run. Halle Winjum and Libby Salentine added a basket apiece. The Titans stopped the run with a basket from Tiana Swanson, only to have Crookston respond with a bigger run. The Pirates went on a 16-0 run that started with Smith making a long two-pointer, Winjum added a three-pointer, Abby Borowicz burying a three-pointer, Winjum adding another three-pointer and three more free throws, and Emma Gunderson scoring a basket in the paint after a nice pass from Winjum for a 23-2 lead with six minutes left in the half. The final six minutes of the half was a little more even, with the Titans outscoring Crookston 10-8, and the Pirates took a 31-12 lead into halftime.

SECOND HALF –
The start of the second half continued to be a back-and-forth battle, but Crookston outscored the Titans 12-8 in the first seven minutes for a 43-20 lead with 10:34 remaining. The teams continued to trade baskets, and Crookston led 52-31 when the Titan’s Sophie Lien made a three-pointer for the 1,000th point of her career to bring her team within a 52-34 deficit with four minutes remaining.
Both teams would score nine points apiece in the final four minutes and Crookston held on to win 61-43.

Crookston improves to 14-9 on the year and will take on Bagley on Friday. NCE/UH drops to 9-13 on the year.

FOR COACH DARIN ZIMMERMAN’S POST-GAME COMMENTS, CLICK BELOW-

	1st	2nd	Final
CROOKSTON	31	30	61
NCE/UH	12	31	43

For CROOKSTON	Points	Rebounds	Assists/Steals
Halle Winjum	27	8	8 assists/6 steals
Isabelle Smith	10	3	2 assists
Abby Borowicz	7	3	2 blocks
Joey Nesseth	5	4	2 assists/1 steal
Macy Fee	4	2
Chloe Boll	4	3
Libby Salentine	2	5	2 steals
Emma Gunderson	2	3	2 assists