History was made in Lake Park on Tuesday. Eli Ihnen scored 18 points in a resounding 66-38 HLP victory over Clay Central-Everly, reaching 1,000 points for his career. The junior becomes the fastest to that mark in Wolves history. He was one of three players in double-figures for Harris-Lake Park. CCE’s Jared Schoelerman scored a team-high 14 points. The Mavericks fall to 4-7 in the Cornbelt. HLP, the sixth-rated team in Class 1A, will put its 18-0 record on the line Friday at Ruthven-Ayrshire/Graettinger-Terril, a matchup that will air on Q102.
Click here for the postgame interview with HLP coach Jeff Sohn.
Also in the Cornbelt, North Sentral Kossuth/Armstrong-Ringsted won at CWL by a 47-30 margin.
Spirit Lake slowly pulled away from Estherville-Lincoln Central to garner a 59-30 road win in Lakes Conference play on Tuesday. The Indians took advantage of their interior size against the Midgets, as Sawyer Harms and Adam Dau scored more than half of Spirit Lake’s points from in the paint. Harms led all scorers with 19 points and Dau finished with thirteen. Paul Brown had ten points. ELC had just one player in double figures, with Evan Hansen reaching twelve points. The Midgets fall to 3-9 in conference and 7-13 overall, and host LeMars on Friday. Spirit Lake will take a 7-4 conference mark and 11-6 season record into Friday’s tilt with Emmetsburg on KUOO.
Click here for the postgame interview with Adam Dau and coach Nate Loenser.
The rest of the Lakes saw the E-Hawks upset No. 13 Western Christian in Emmetsburg, 56-55. The E-Hawks have seven of their last eleven games. Spencer narrowly got by Storm Lake, 60-57. The Tigers win for the third time in eleven games. And front-running LeMars throttled Cherokee to stay perfect in conference, 78-48.
Behind eight 3-pointers from Adam Paulsen, South O’Brien notched a 56-44 home win over Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn in War Eagle play Tuesday. The senior finished with a state-best 42 points, pushing the Wolverines to 15-3 on the year and 8-2 in the league. They’ll host Sioux Central on Thursday. The Hawks, who fall back to 7-12 this winter and 4-5 in the War Eagle, got a 19-point effort out of freshman Blake Simons. HMS is at Spalding Catholic on Friday.
On the road in Siouxland play, Okoboji fell to Rock Valley in a 66-55 contest on Tuesday. The Pioneers trailed by five at the half before the Rockets won the third quarter by five to assume a double-digit advantage. Dalton Syverson registered a double-double of 23 points, thirteen rebounds. Keith Oskvig dropped in ten points for Okoboji, which has lost seven straight since their only win this season and will take a 1-14 record in league play to fifth-ranked Boyden-Hull on Friday.
Click here for postgame comments from coach Ryan Paulsen.
Elsewhere in the Siouxland, the Comets will be coming off a 63-49 victory at Central Lyon. MOC-Floyd Valley tallied a 59-23 decision at Sheldon. Sioux Center went off for a 77-48 triumph over George-Little Rock.
In other games Tuesday, defending state champion Storm Lake St. Mary’s defeated Sioux Central, 65-48.
North of the border, Jackson County Central fell to Windom, 54-37. Martin County West registered a 73-65 road win at St. James. Round-Lake Brewster suffered a 78-39 setback against Fulda. And Southwest Star Concept was dominated by Southwest Minnesota Christian, 77-46.
