The Faribault Falcons girls basketball team had a lead for the first 10 minutes of their game in Austin in Section 1 Class 3A quarterfinal round action Wednesday night.  Unfortunately the game is 36 minutes long.  The Falcons caught the turnover bug and the Packers flew away with a 79-49 win.

Austin was state ranked most of the season but not in the latest Minnesota Basketball News Poll which may be why the Packers played a press and their starters until late in the game.  Two H&R Block statistics were the story of the game.  Faribault had 24 turnovers which Austin turned into 29 points and the Packers bench had a 27-8 scoring advantage over the Falcons.

Senior Abby Van Ryn was our Faribault State Farm Insurance agents Faribault player of the game.  The only senior on the team had 17 points to lead their scoring.  11 of them in the first half.  The Falcons jumped out to a 15-7 lead before Austin ratcheted up their pressure and got the deficit to one at 15-14.

Faribault Head Coach BIll Bardal called a time out.  His team got a bucket, trailed, then got another basket to retake the lead before Van Ryn dove for a loose ball and was called for her second foul and did not play the remainder of the half. I believe their were just over 3 minutes to go in the half.  The Packers scored three times off four turnovers and had a 35-27 halftime lead.

The 8 point lead came at the very end of the half when 5'4 freshman Emma Dudycha swished a three pointer at the buzzer to put Austin up.  Her twin sister Hope joined in the first half scoring with 8 points while Emma had 9.  They finished the game with 25 points (Emma 13 points, Hope 12 points) junior post 5'10 Kyra Walters collected 12 points, sophomore 5'7 Elyse Hebrink added 11 points and senior 5'11 Abby Lewis had 10 points.

Faribault junior post 6'0 Zoe Fronk was the only other Falcons player in double figures with 10 points.  Freshman 5'5 Evy Vettrus finished with 9 points.  Faribault finished their season with a 5-21 record.  #4 seed Austin is now 18-8 and goes to Rochester Saturday to tangle with the top seed and top ranked Red Wing Wingers.  Tip-off time is 1:00 p.m. at the Mayo Civic Center arena.

The other quarterfinal round games in Section 1 Class 3A were also no doubt wins for #2 seed Northfield and #3 seed Kasson-Mantorville.  The Raiders dispatched Albert Lea 76-47 and the KoMets downed Winona 67-44.  Northfield and Kasson-Mantorville will square off at 2:45 p.m. Saturday in the Mayo Civic Arena in the other semifinal game.

In Rochester Wednesday night Section 1 Class A and Class AA quarterfinal round game results:

  • Goodhue 68  Houston 37
  • Hayfield 58  Kingsland 49

The Wildcats and Vikings play 6:30 p.m. Saturday in the Mayo Civic Auditorium on KDHL Radio and the KDHL app. Coverage starts 6:15 p.m.

  • Rochester Lourdes 55  Stewartville 38
  • Caledonia 55  Dover-Eyota 44

The Eagles and Warriors play 8:00 p.m. Saturday in the Mayo Civic Auditorium.

Section 1 Class 4A quarterfinal round games Wednesday:

  • Farmington 79  Rochester Century 19
  • Lakeville South 57  New Prague 47
  • Rochester John Marshall  46  Rochester Mayo 40
  • Lakeville North 83  Owatonna 46

6:30 p.m. Saturday top seed Farmington plays #4 seed Lakeville South at Mayo Civic Arena.

8:15 p.m. Saturday #2 seed Lakeville North faces #3 seed John Marshall at Mayo Civic Arena.

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