Kenyon-Wanamingo Girls Fall and Goodhue Wins in Season Openers

The Kenyon-Wanamingo Knight girls basketball team lost 61-54 to Stillwater in their season opener Friday.

Fellow Hiawatha Valley League team Goodhue rolled past Red Wing in their opener 65-42.

For the third year the Knights are participating in the Pat Paterson Thanksgiving Invitational Tournament at Hamline University in St. Paul.

It's not really a tournament. It's more of a showcase with some very good teams participating.

Stillwater had a lot of size and some very good shooters and closed out a see-saw first half on a 9-3 run to lead 29-23 at the break.

To be down by just six with last year's leading scorer Mara Quam held to four points had to be encouraging for Kenyon-Wanamingo.

Stillwater freshman Sara Scalla shot lights out with four threes in the first half and junior Megan Flom led the Knights with eight first half points.

Kenyon-Wanamingo sophomore Tess Hokanson had the primary duty of guarding Scalla in the second half and held her to no threes and just four points.

In the second half the Ponies galloped to a nine-point lead that Kenyon-Wanamingo whittled down and then punched the lead up to eight before the Knights made another run late, but they simply couldn't get a stop when they needed it in the final couple of minutes.

Knights head coach Brent Lurken was very pleased with the season opener, particularly the way his team fought back.

Kenyon-Wanamingo does not have a lot of size but they held their own on the glass and turnovers were not an issue.

Stillwater had nine three-point baskets and the Knights seven.

The Ponies were 12 of 15 from the free throw line and Kenyon-Wanamingo hit 11 of 16 free throws.

Junior Mara Quam caught fire in the second half and finished with 24 points and junior Savannah Blees added 14, scoring 10 second-half points for the Knights.

Stillwater was led by 6-foot senior Madison Schmitt with 17 points, Scalla added 16 and 5-foot-6 junior Claire Patterson added 11.

Kenyon-Wanamingo will play Minneapolis DeLasalle on Saturday afternoon.

Coverage on KDHL is scheduled to begin at 3:45PM if the game is on time.

I say if because there are three games before Kenyon-Wanamingo is scheduled to play.

The DeLasalle Islanders fell to New Prague 80-73 in a foul-intensive contest that saw five players foul out of the game.

Saturday's game will probably be very physical and the Islanders love to up the tempo with pressure.

Speaking of pressure, that's exactly what Goodhue did in their 65-42 win over River Falls, Wisconsin in Red Wing on Friday.

Junior guard Maddy Miller led the way for the Wildcats with 22 points. Miller had 17 at the half with Goodhue on top 35-20 and the game was never closer.

The Wildcats pounced to a 16-5 lead right out of the gate.

Sophomore Sydney Lodermeier added 17 points and eight rebounds.

Goodhue plays Red Wing at 1PM Saturday.