Second-half rally doesn't bring a win for Jaguar girls' basketball team

 

Although they came out on fire in the second half and quickly erased a huge 22-12 halftime deficit, the Jaguars girls' basketball team fell to 0-5 in the Central Minnesota Conference with a very tough 43-40 loss to Holdingford (2-9) tonight. Both teams entered the contest with 0-4 CMC records.

Both teams struggled offensively the entire first half and especially in the game's opening minutes. A shot by B-B-E's Becca Gruber tied it at 6-6 with 13:33 left (seen in the video further below)...but the Huskers outscored the Jaguars 16-6 over the final 13 minutes of the first half.

Following the loss, Coach Kristina Anderson had plenty to be pleased with regarding the Jaguars' second-half play. They came out of halftime with a high level of intensity and desire mixed with crisp play and aggressive shot selection. The last-minute turnover on an inbounds play that gave Holdingford their final possession prevented B-B-E from having a chance at getting a game-winning shot off. The Huskers were incredibly determined in the closing two minutes, and that ultimately was the difference in the game.

A small bit of good news for Coach Anderson...as her husband's Melrose Area Dutchmen team snapped a long losing streak with a 51-31 win in Granite Falls against Yellow Medicine East in a West Central Conference game.

In this video clip from the first half, the Jaguars trailed 18-8, but a shot by Megan Weller on the left block made it 18-10 with just under four minutes to go...

Oh by the way, now Weather.com is saying the low tonight will be 30 degrees, not 34 degrees. The chance of rain is 70 percent, and it was raining most of the time on my trip home.

Central Minnesota Conference girls' basketball scores on Jan. 10:
Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 70, Kimball Area 41 (Lakers are catching fire in January)
Pierz 60, Maple Lake 47 (8-5 Pioneers host the Jaguars next Tuesday)
Eden Valley-Watkins 70, Rockford Area 44

Area girls' basketball scores on January 10:
Osakis 82, Browerville 49
Upsala 52, West Central Area 50
Melrose Area 51, Yellow Medicine East 31
Montevideo 48, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 45

Area boys' basketball scores on January 10:
Sauk Centre 77, Minnewaska Area 51 (Streeters were up 37-21 at halftime)
Brandon/Evansville 56, Ortonville 52
Underwood 72, Hillcrest Lutheran Academy 46
Russel-Tyler-Ruthton 58, MACCRAY 42 (Wolverines roughed up in a Camden Conference game in Tyler...R-T-R is 11-1 and 5-0 in the Camden South Conference with an offensive/defensive average identical to B-B-E's)
Ashby 67, Rothsay 47


This Jaguars sports update is brought to you by the proud support of: