Maple Lake
The Eagles girls’ basketball team went into the section playoffs on a winning streak. After pulling out a 50-42 conference road victory to end its season-long nine-game losing streak, the Eagles capped its regular season with a 63-35 conference home win over the Maple Lake Irish on Tuesday, Feb. 18.
The Eagles took control early by jumping out to a 41-17 halftime lead. Ten different players hit the scoring sheet for the Eagles.
Speaking of offense, the Eagles shot 36% from the floor, but reached the free-throw line often. For the game, the Eagles finished 17 of 31 (55%) from the free-throw line, compared to 5 of 12 (42%) for the Irish.
Defensively, the Eagles held the Irish to 24% shooting for the game and forced the Irish into 20 turnovers. The Eagles also held a 40-25 edge in the rebounding department.
Ava Vanderbeek led the Eagles with a double-double performance of 22 points and 12 rebounds. Brinn Kuechle finished with 16 points and Grace Brovold a team-high seven assists to also pace the Eagles.
The Eagles finished the regular season with a 5-21 overall record and a 4-10 mark in the Central Minnesota Conference.
Wildcats
Earning the eighth seed in the north sub-section of the Section 3AA Girls Basketball Tournament, the Eagles hit the road to play the north sub-section’s top seed and the third-ranked New London-Spicer Wildcats.
The Eagles two-game winning streak and season came to a halt with an 81-42 playoff road loss on Friday, Feb. 21. Look in an upcoming issue for complete game stats.