Norse knocked out of first with loss to Pirates
After Whitehall appeared to be clocking on all cylinders in a nonconference win, the Norse were knocked out of first-place with a loss to Cochrane-Fountain City last week.
Whitehall exploded for 52 points in the first half of a 74-48 road win over Black River Falls last week Tuesday. On Friday, the team was close in the second half against C-FC, but the Pirates held off every Norse push for a 51-42 win.
The Norse began this week with an 11-6 overall record and a 9-4 mark in Dairyland Conference play, a game behind Eleva-Strum and Independence/Gilmanton in the Large Division. Whitehall played at Alma Center Lincoln on Tuesday before hosting Blair-Taylor on Thursday and Osseo-Fairchild on Friday.
Whitehall 74 BRF 48
The Norse scored more points in the first half than they allowed the throughout the entire game.
Whitehall took control of the game with an early 18-2 run and didn’t let up much from there.
A jump shot by Paige Lisowski put the team ahead for good at 4-2. That was followed by baskets by Kyla Lambeck and Trinity Aasen. Lisowski added a three pointer before Lambeck scored five straight, including a three. Aasen scored again then Bria Pank scored a basket in transition to make the score 20-4 with 12 minutes remaining.
The Norse onslaught would continue throughout the final 12 minutes of the half. Whitehall scored 32 more points and took a 52-21 lead into halftime.
Whitehall shot 49 percent in the game and made eight three pointers. Aasen led the way with 21 points, shooting nine-for-10 from the field while Lisowski added 18 and Lambeck finished with 13.
Whitehall (field goals/attempts-free throws/attempts-rebounds-fouls-points) — Lisowski 6/12-4/4-8-0-18 Sluga 3/4-0/0-5-1-6 Herman 0/0-0/0-1-3-0 Becker 1/5-0/0-0-3-2 Back 0/5-0/0-4-1-0 Lambeck 6/13-0/0-3-0-15 Ausderau 3/3-0/0-2-0-6 Pank 3/6-0/0-5-0-6 Aasen 9/10-0/0-5-2-21 Klomsten 0/2-0/0-1-2-0 Foss 0/2-0/0-2-0-0 Edge 0/0-0/0-2-0-0
C-FC 51 Whitehall 42
The Norse scored the first six points of the second half to pull within one, but that’s as close as they’d get.
The game was close throughout, but the Pirates went on a 7-0 run midway through and took a 28-21 lead into the intermission.
Whitehall came out strong as Aryana Ausderau knocked down two free throws before baskets by Aasen and Lisowski made the score 28-27. The Pirates answered with four straight points.
Aasen scored to bring Whitehall bask within three, but C-FC scored the next five points for a 9-2 run that put them ahead 37-29.
Whitehall couldn’t get much closer as C-FC kept the Norse offense in check for the rest of the game.
Aasen scored nearly half of Whitehall’s points, finishing with 20. Lambeck added nine. Mackenzie Wegner led C-FC with 15.
Whitehall (field goals/attempts-free throws/attempts-rebounds-fouls-points) — Lisowski 1/11-0/0-4-3-2 Sluga 1/2-0/0-6-2-2 Herman 1/2-0/0-0-2-3 Lambeck 3/15-2/4-3-0-9 Ausderau 1/5-2/3-7-2-4 Pank 1/5-0/2-4-3-2 Aasen 9/16-0/0-10-4-20 Klomsten 0/2-0/0-1-0-0 Foss 0/1-0/0-0-0-0