Strong defense leads Cardinals to a win

Playing a big school on an early Saturday afternoon, after not having played a game in eight days, the Staples-Motley girls basketball team could’ve been in for a letdown.

“It was not one of our better games, but we got the win,” said Coach Craig Wolhowe about the team’s 51-40 victory over Bemidji on Feb. 4.

The Cardinals held Bemidji to 14 second half points. “Our defense was solid,” said Wolhowe, “another key was we had only nine turnovers.”

The team shot better from behind the three point line, where they were seven of 15, than from inside the arc, where they were just 36 percent.

Claire Wolhowe led the team with 21 points, seven rebounds; two shot blocks. Other scoring: Kelsie Weite 11, Chelsea Nanik 10, Sam Schimpp 5 and Amber Robben 4.