Falcon Girls Defeat Mankato East in Physical Game

The Faribault Falcon girls basketball team jumped out to a 10-0 lead and had to hold on to win 48-43 at Mankato East on Thursday night.

The Falcons were without the services of Rachel Hanson due to a concussion suffered in the Winona game. Bre Bresnahan turned an ankle and sat in street clothes on the bench, or should I say chairs? Players don't sit on benches anymore. They sit on cushioned chairs.

Faribault saw a double-digit lead with just over two minutes to go in the half get whittled down to 25-20 at the half thanks to turnovers. Mankato East scored 11 of their 20 first-half points off nine Faribault turnovers.

With 12:29 to go in the game, the Cougars had their first lead 29-28. Faribault scored on their next possession to retake the lead.

Junior Loren Isaacson hit a huge three-point basket in the second half to give her team the lead after they relinquished it again and Grace Amacher, Elana Palmer and Madison Rendler were 6 for 6 from the free throw line in clutch time.

It was a very physical game.

Palmer led Faribault with 16 points, Amacher had 12 and senior Madison Rendler was relentless on the glass and finished with 10 points. Those three players were named our Faribault State Farm Insurance agents Faribault players of the game courtesy of Faribault State Farm agents Tony Langerud and Jason Krohn.

The Falcons had four threes and the Cougars two in the game.

In the end, the difference was clearly at the free throw line. Faribault was 12 of 18 (10 of 14 in second half) and Mankato East was 7 of 18 (4 of 14 in the first half).

The Falcons are now 11-10 overall and 8-9 in the conference and host Austin at 7:30 Saturday night.

The Cougars are 6-15 overall and 6-11 in league play. Mankato East was led by 5-foot-10 senior Shayla Karge with her 18 points.

Mankato East is at Winona at 6PM Saturday.

With a handful of games left to go, Northfield has a one-game lead over Winona and Mayo and two-game lead over Owatonna. Red Wing is three games back.

Northfield is at Rochester Mayo on Friday night while Winona hosts Mankato West.