Whitehall girls win one of three

The Whitehall girls basketball team was competitive in all three of its games last week, but only managed one win.

The team put together a big run to take a lead in the second half against Melrose-Mindoro, but ultimately fell short, 56-50, last Tuesday. On Thursday, however, the Norse went on a run late, and pulled away for a 75-63 win over Alma Center Lincoln. The Norse had one of the top teams in the state on the ropes on Saturday, but Eleva-Strum closed the game on a 17-2 run to beat them, 58-41. 

Whitehall began this week with a 5-12 overall record, including a 4-10 mark in Dairyland Conference play. The team played at Augusta on Tuesday and will head to Blair-Taylor on Friday. This coming Monday, Whitehall hosts Mondovi before heading to Osseo-Fairchild next Tuesday. 

Mel-Min 56 Whitehall 50

The Norse rallied to erase a big deficit, but couldn’t finish with a win. 

Whitehall trailed by 15 points early in the second half, but came all the way back to take a 38-37 lead on a basket by Paige Lisowski with about six minutes remaining in the game. 

The Mustangs scored 10 of the next 13 points to take a 47-41 advantage.

Whitehall continued to battle until the final buzzer, but the Mustangs answered every score.

Keymileth Mojica led the Norse with 17 points, one more than Lisowski. 

Whitehall (field goals/attempts-free throws/attempts-rebounds-fouls-points) — Kulig 0/0-0/0-0-1-0 Lisowski 7/18-1/1-7-3-16 Herman 0/1-2/5-2-4-2 Laurila 0/2-0/0-3-1-0 Lambeck 2/10-1/2-5-3-5 Ausderau 3/7-2/6-8-2-8 Klomsten 0/0-0/0-0-2-0 Mojica 6/12-2/3-5-1-17 Fonstad 0/0-0/0-0-1-0 Waldera 1/3-0/0-1-3-2

Whitehall 75 ACL 63

A 6-0 run gave the Norse an edge late and the team held on for the win.

Whitehall controlled the paint all game and was able to capitalize with three baskets inside, two by senior Aryana Ausderau to turn a two-point deficit with six minutes remaining into a four-point lead with five minutes left in the game.

The Hornets scored to get within two points, but Paige Lisowski knocked down a three-pointer on Whitehall’s next possession. After another ACL basket, Kelsie Klomsten made a free throw and Kyla Lambeck scored inside to put Whitehall ahead by six. 

After the Hornets made a couple of free throws, Whitehall scored five straight with baskets by Lambeck and Lisowski and a free throw by Ausderau to take a nine-point lead late. 

The Norse clinched the win by making free throws down the stretch.

Ausderau turned in a big performance for the Norse scoring 19 points and pulling down 15 rebounds. Lisowski had 23 points to lead the team while Lambeck finished with 11 and Ida Laurila scored 10. Ava Cummings put up 30 points to lead ACL.

Whitehall (field goals/attempts-free throws/attempts-rebounds-fouls-points) — Kulig 0/0-0/0-1-1-0 Lisowski 9/18-2/2-6-5-23 Herman 1/1-2/6-6-1-4 Laurila 4/17-2/2-7-1-10 Lambeck 3/7-5/6-7-1-11 Ausderau 5/10-9/14-15-1-19 Klomsten 2/9-1/3-3-4-5 Mojica 1/9-0/0-6-2-3 Fonstad 0/1-0/0-2-0-0 

E-S 58 Whitehall 41

The Norse were tied with one of the top teams in the state at halftime, but couldn’t keep up in the second half.

A three-pointer by Keymileth Mojica with less than a minute left gave Whitehall a 28-26 lead before the Cardinals tied the game and the teams went into the intermission even at 28 points apiece.

Whitehall stuck with E-S for much of the second half and was within two at 41-39, but the Cardinals closed the game with a 17-2 run. 

Lisowski scored 15 points to lead the Norse, while Ida Laurila added 10 points and 12 rebounds. 

Whitehall (field goals/attempts-free throws/attempts-rebounds-fouls-points) — Kulig 0/1-0/0-0-0-0 Lisowski 6/16-0/0-5-4-15 Herman 1/4-0/0-2-0-3 Laurila 5/15-0/0-12-0-10 Lambeck 0/3-1/2-2-2-1 Ausderau 3/10-0/0-13-1-6 Klomsten 0/2-0/2-2-5-0 Mojica 2/6-0/0-2-4-5 Waldera 0/2-1/2-2-0-1