Comeback win sets up conference showdown

The Staples-Motley girls basketball team will play for the outright conference championship on Friday, Feb. 17, at home in their last conference game against Crosby-Ironton at 7 p.m.

The Cardinals beat Detroit Lakes 55-45 after falling behind by 13 points early in the first half.

The win gave the Cardinals a 6-1 record in the Mid-State Conference, with Pequot Lakes in second with a 4-2 record. After a slow start this season, Crosby-Ironton has evened their conference record at 3-3, including an upset over Pequot Lakes.

Against Detroit Lakes, Staples-Motley fought back from that early deficit to pull within four at halftime. 

“We did not shoot well from long range so we had to attack the basket,” said Coach Craig Wolhowe. “Fortunately, we maintained our tough defense to hold them to 20 at half and 45 for the game.”

“We started the second half the way we ended the first half with good defense, attacking the basket, and making the extra pass,” said Wolhowe.

The Cardinals took their first lead midway through the second half. “Even though we did not shoot well from the free throw line, that clinched it for us late in the game,” said Wolhowe. The team was 13 for 26 on free throws.

Staples-Motley got another road win at Frazee on Feb. 9, weathering hot shooting from Frazee, who hit nine shots from the three point line.

The Cardinals built a 20 point lead but Frazee stormed back to cut the deficit.

“I thought we played a little too conservative in the last four minutes,” said Wolhowe. “This is something we will have to improve on for tournament time.”

Team results

Staples-Motley 55, Detroit Lakes 45

Scoring: Claire Wolhowe 20, Kelsie Weite 16, Chelsea Nanik 7, Sam Schimpp 5, Kaitlyn Longworth 4, Amber Robben 3

Staples-Motley 53, Frazee 40

Scoring: Schimpp 14, Robben 14, Ashley Smith 8, Wolhowe 7, Weite 6, Longworth 2, Nanik 2