Fairmont flattens B.E. Area hoopsters, 71-24

By Charlie Sorrells
Fairmont Basketball Association Contributor

FAIRMONT – Fairmont forward Gwyn Schultz produced career-bests of 15 points and a game-leading 14 rebounds to create double-double trouble for the Blue Earth Area basketball team during Friday night’s Big South Conference clash in Blue Earth.
Unfortunately for the Bucs, the Cardinals’ 5-foot-9 freshman proved only a portion of the hometown lineup’s defensive woes as Brylee Miller, Ellie Ortega and Bria Williamson each contributed double-figure scoring numbers to Fairmont’s 71-24 rout of Blue Earth Area.
“Everything we put in motion worked tonight,” said Cardinals’ head coach Sara Junkermeier. “Our defensive pressure created a number of scoring chances for us and we converted at the offensive end, plus we did a good job of sharing the basketball in our halfcourt sets.”
After junior guard Lola Lundquist – who recently eclipsed the 1,000-point career scoring mark – hit a runner to inch Blue Earth Area within 10-5, Schultz and Ortega engineered Fairmont’s ensuing 12-0 offensive avalanche by pounding the paint.
Schultz worked the offensive boards for a putback basket before she zipped a pass to Ortega for a pull-up jumper in the lane off the break. Schultz tossed in another follow shot, Ortega dribble-drove through traffic for a runner, Miller sank two free throws and Schultz capped the run with a spin move in the low blocks with 11 ½ minutes remaining before halftime.
After Myla Eastman sank a 10-footer in the lane and Grace Schavey knocked down a 3-pointer for the Bucs, Schultz served as the offensive catalyst behind the Cardinals’ following 19-0 run that extended the visitors’ margin to 44-9.
Schultz cleaned the offensive windows for a putback to establish the frenetic tempo before Williamson banked home a baseline leaner for two of her 14 points off the bench for Fairmont. Kennedy Becker, who finished with a career-high eight assists, tracked down a long offensive carom before firing to a breaking Schultz for a transition basket with 6 minutes to go before intermission.
Ortega, who generated 14 points and three steals, tossed in a low-post spin bucket before Becker demonstrated her passing prowess again by spotting Miller for a breakaway lay-in and two of her game-high 19 points. Williamson twisted along the end line to convert an offensive carom into a basket before Becker found Williamson for a left-corner 3-pointer. Miller produced a midcourt steal-turned-layup before Becker zipped an assist to Ortega for a duck-under scoop shot to create Fairmont’s 35-point lead.
Becker later nailed a last-second 3-pointer from the right wing off an Emelia Klanderud pass to stake the Cardinals to a 51-12 halftime advantage.
Miller garnered seven boards to help Schultz ignite Fairmont’s 48-23 rebounding edge on the game, while Becker and Ortega each pocketed four steals to pace the Cardinals’ plus-18 advantage in the turnover category.
Elaena Schiltz collected six points and five rebounds to top the Bucs, Lundquist supplied five points and six boards, while seventh-grader Emerson Weir chipped in four points, five rebounds and three steals.
Fairmont (7-2) travels to Montgomery on Tuesday, Jan. 7, to face Tri-City United, while Blue Earth Area (0-9) plays host to Belle Plaine on Jan. 7 in Blue Earth.
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Fairmont     51-20–71
B.E. Area     12-12–24
FAIRMONT (71)
Ortega 5-6 4-6 14, Makayla Lowry 0-5 0-0 0, Becker 2-10 0-0 5, Schultz 7-13 1-2 15, Miller 6-11 4-4 19, Williamson 5-11 2-2 14, Klanderud 1-5 1-4 3, Traetow 0-6 0-0 0, Zarling 0-6 0-0 0, Makenzie Lowry 0-2 0-0 0, Suckow 0-0 1-2 1. Totals 26-75 13-20 71.
B.E. AREA (24)
Weir 2-6 0-0 4, Schavey 1-2 0-0 3, Lundquist 2-17 0-0 5, J. Moore 1-1 2-2 4, Eastman 1-5 0-2 2, Schiltz 2-2 2-3 6, Allis 0-1 0-0 0, James 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 9-35 4-7 24.
3-pointers: Fairmont 6-22 (Miller 3, Williamson 2, Becker 1); Blue Earth Area 2-12 (Schavey and Lundquist 1 each). Fouled out: None. Rebounds: Fairmont 48 (Schultz 14, Miller 7); BEA 23 (Lundquist 6). Assists: Fairmont 14 (Becker 8); BEA 2. Steals: Fairmont 16 (Becker and Ortega 4 each); BEA 4 (Weir 3).