By Charlie Sorrells
Fairmont Basketball Association Contributor

FAIRMONT – Fairmont capitalized on reaching the free throw line 23 times and proved perfect on three second-half 3s to tip off the basketball season with a 52-44 nonconference victory over the New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva Panthers on Tuesday night at Cardinal Gym.
Brylee Miller went 5-for-5 at the charity stripe and nailed a key trey en route to a game-leading 20 points for the hometown Cardinals, while teammate Kennedy Becker swooshed a pair of pivotal trifectas to pace her 14-point performance in Fairmont.
“We got off to a slow start during the first two minutes of the game, but kept pounding the ball inside to get to the (free throw) line and that triggered our 10-0 run to give us the lead midway through the opening half,” said Fairmont head coach Sara Junkermeier, whose lineup made 11 more charity tosses than NRHEG while attempting 10 more.
Trailing 10-3, Gwyn Schultz threaded an assist to a cutting Miller for a driving runner to serve as the catalyst behind the Cardinals’ double-digit offensive surge. Becker followed with a solo free throw before Schultz made 3 of 4 at the line to inch within 10-9.
Makayla Lowry gave Fairmont its first lead of the game by connecting for a right-corner 18-footer off Miller’s drive-and-kick play before Becker tossed in two more charity tosses for a 13-10 margin at the 7:40 juncture.
Quinn Vanmaldeghem, who produced a game-best 11 boards to complement seven points and three assists, later hit a baseline runner to draw the Panthers within 15-13 before Miller took control. Miller dropped home two free throws before swooshing a 12-foot pull-up jumper off the drive.
Becker and Schultz’s combined defensive prowess later set up Makayla Lowry’s left-wing drive to re-establish an eight-point lead for the Cardinals with 3 minutes to go before halftime.
Becker pocketed half of her team-best four steals to generate more point production during the final 2 ½ minutes to create a 25-17 margin by intermission.
Camryn Vanmaldeghem, who netted a team-high 15 points to go with six rebounds and a game-best six steals, hit a lean-and-fade drive before twin sibling Quinn Vanmaldeghem drained a 3-pointer during the early stages of the second half to pull within 27-22.
“New Richland’s twins gave their team some momentum out of the gate to open the second half, but our girls went on a clutch 7-0 run to restore a double-digit lead for us,” said Junkermeier. “Kennedy really stepped up and hit two big 3s at key moments in the second half, too.”
Becker answered with a 3-pointer and later found Makayla Lowry for a cutter in traffic before Miller breezed by her defender for a runner en route to a 34-22 advantage.
Camryn Vanmaldeghem and Izley Boerner each knocked down 3s to whittle the Panthers’ deficit to five again midway through the second segment before Miller and Becker countered to keep NRHEG at an arm’s length.
After Camryn Vanmaldeghem converted a steal into a step-back 15-footer to close the gap to 39-36, Miller nailed a momentum-seizing 3. Ellie Ortega later contributed a left-corner 18-footer before Miller’s traditional 3-point play and Becker’s right-wing trifecta at the 2:32 mark put the Cardinals up 50-42 and the home team never looked back.
Ortega and Makayla Lowry each finished with seven points, with Ortega pulling down seven boards for the Cardinals. Schultz contributed six rebounds, three steals and three assists to the winning effort.
Fairmont (1-0) plays host to Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial on Tuesday, Dec. 3, while NRHEG (0-2) hosts Maple River on Dec. 3.
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NRHEG     17-27–44
Fairmont    25-27–52
FAIRMONT (52)
Ortega 3-4 1-3 7, Makayla Lowry 3-9 1-2 7, Becker 4-5 4-6 14, Schultz 0-4 3-5 3, Miller 7-13 5-5 20, Klanderud 0-0 1-2 1, Traetow 0-0 0-0 0, Makenzie Lowry 0-4 0-0 0. Totals 17-39 15-23 52.
NRHEG (44)
Q. Vanmaldeghem 3-9 0-1 7, I. Boerner 2-9 2-4 8, C. Vanmaldeghem 6-27 2-6 15, Stork 0-2 0-0 0, Olson 4-5 0-0 8, Schlaak 1-7 0-0 2, E. Boerner 2-2 0-2 4, Buendorf 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 18-62 4-13 44.
3-pointers: Fairmont 3-5 (Becker 2, Miller 1); NRHEG 4-25 (I. Boerner 2, Q. Vanmaldeghem 1, C. Vanmaldeghem 1). Fouled out: Q. Vanmaldeghem. Rebounds: Fairmont 36 (Miller 8, Ortega 7); NRHEG 36 (Q. Vanmaldeghem 11). Assists: Fairmont 9 (Miller and Schultz 3 each); NRHEG 5 (Q. Vanmaldeghem 3). Steals: NRHEG 16 (C. Vanmaldeghem 6, Q. Vanmaldeghem 4); Fairmont 12 (Becker 4).
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Bria Williamson produced 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists to power Fairmont to a season-opening 52-19 win over NRHEG during B-squad action Tuesday night.
Abbie Simpson tallied 10 points, four steals and four boards for the Cardinals, Katherine Zelaya scored eight points, while Mya Reyes garnered five steals.