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(NewsDakota.com)–A 20-4 run by the St. Mary’s Saints put a Hi-Liner team that appeared to be either tired or uninspired into a hole they could not dig out of, dropping Saturday’s game to the Saints.
Allyson Suhr attempted to rally the Hi-Liners with a huge second half, scoring 14 of her game-high 19 points on seven second-half field goals. But multiple turnovers and Saints offensive rebounds limited Valley City’s opportunities to win their third-stright game after wins over Maple Valley Tuesday and Wahpeton Friday.
St. Mary’s used a 9-0 run in the opening half to grab their first big lead, a run that came in a stretch of six turnovers and an air-balled shot in seven straight Hi-Liner possessions. Taylor Gendreau put herself on the way to a big day for the Saints, sparking the run with a three-point shot. St. Mary’s led 20-16 with 5:18 left of the half.
The Saints were dependent on bench scoring, as two of their top three scorers were tagged with three fouls in the first half. Gendreau scored 10 off the bench, and Kourtney Rummel co-led the Saints with 12.
Valley City battled back to trail by two at the break, and took a lead in the second half, but saw it quickly turn into a double-figure deficit. St. Marys erupted for a 20-4 run, with Gendreau again draining a three with 13:00 left, and Dominique Giesen hitting her lone field goal of the second half, sinking the Hi-Liners to a 46-33 defecit.
Head coach Jim McDaniel then began making a statement with his team, resting starters for reserves, and the Hi-Liners fought back. Dierra Diegel began finding Suhr in the post, passes that were turnovers in the opening half, and Suhr connected for seven field goals.
Clarissa Olson had another positive game at guard, controlling the St. Mary’s pressure, and the Hi-Liners fought back to within six late. They would cut the lead to four on late St. Mary’s turnovers, but would get no closer.
Valley City drops to 3-4 overall, and will play Litchville-Marion-Montpelier in the first game of the Barnes County Girls Basketball Tournament Tuesday at 3:00 p.m. at the W.E. Osmon Fieldhouse at Valley City State University.