In a battle between ranked teams, No. 2 Estherville-Lincoln Central got the better of Spirit Lake on Tuesday, dominating the defensive end en route to a 55-23 victory in Lakes Conference girls’ basketball. The Midgets held Spirit Lake to 19-percent shooting for the game, including a 1-for-17 effort from beyond the arc. KJ Veldman, the state’s leading scorer, was limited to a team-high nine points. ELC took advantage of their size inside, as six-footers Allie Sievert and Alyssa Johnson scored thirteen and twelve points, respectively. The Midgets remain unblemished in the league at 12-0 and 19-1 overall. They will host LeMars on Friday. The twelfth-ranked Indians fall to 13-5 on the season and 7-4 in conference games, with a home date against Emmetsburg set for Friday on KUOO.
Click here for the postgame interview with Spirit Lake coach Rick Reinking.
In other Lakes Conference games, Western Christian kept pace with ELC in the league standings with a 78-44 defeat of the E-Hawks, who fall to 5-7 within the conference. Spencer upended Storm Lake by a 59-16 final. The Tigers, at 6-5, travel to Western Christian on Friday on Y100. And Cherokee earned a 47-39 home win over LeMars.
The Okoboji girls picked up their fourth conference road win Tuesday, taking down Rock Valley, 53-48, in a Siouxland contest. Abby Taylor scored a career-high 18 points, while Skylar Hansen dropped in 16 points. The Pioneers are 5-11 in league games and 6-13 overall. Next up is a trip to Boyden-Hull on Friday.
Elsewhere in the Siouxland, Boyden-Hull edged out Central Lyon, 55-52. Sioux Center topped George-Little Rock at home, 46-35. MOC-Floyd Valley trounced Sheldon in a 66-20 game.
Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn overcame a four-point halftime deficit to take a 47-36 road win over rival South O’Brien in War Eagle Conference hoops on Tuesday. Jessica Stofferan paced the Hawks with a dozen points. Katie Mills dropped in eleven points. The Wolverines received a game-high 17 points from Casie Rehder, who converted 11-of-14 free throw attempts. South O’Brien drops to 7-12 overall and 5-8 in conference. They host Sioux Central on Thursday. HMS improves to 9-10 on the year and 4-6 in the league. They travel to Spalding Catholic on Friday.
In a preview of the Class 1A regionals in eight days, Clay Central-Everly won at Harris-Lake Park, 44-37, in a Cornbelt Conference showdown. Emily Jobst set the tone for CCE with 16 points. The win boosts the Mavericks to 4-7 in the conference. HLP’s top scorer was Noreen Morrow with thirteen points. The Lady Wolves have lost seven straight games and sit at an even 5-5 in conference. They travel to rival Graettinger-Terril/Ruthven-Ayrshire on Friday, which can be heard on Q102.
Also, North Sentral Kossuth/Armstrong-Ringsted dismantled CWL, 54-21.
In other games, Sioux Central reached their 17th win with a 68-40 decision over Storm Lake St. Mary’s.
North of the border, Jackson County Central won by a dozen, 45-37, over Windom. Martin County West took down St. Clair, 63-48. And Worthington fell by a basket to Adrian, 63-61.
