By Charlie Sorrells
Prep Sports Writer
LUVERNE – Brylee Miller assembled another impressive statistical line in back-to-back style to engineer Fairmont’s double-figure margin of victory over Luverne in a clash of Cardinal hoopsters on Tuesday night in Luverne.
Miller, who’s headed to Minnesota State University in Mankato next basketball season, erupted for a game-leading double-double of 30 points and 11 rebounds to complement game-bests of six assists and five steals to power Fairmont to a 67-51 Big South Conference triumph over Section 3AA rival Luverne. Miller chalked up 28 points and 13 rebounds in the Cardinals’ season-opening win over Class A No. 9-ranked New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva one week ago on the road.
After Luverne’s Lucy Bose followed Taya Johnson’s solo free throw with a putback basket off the missed second toss to close Luverne’s deficit to 27-21, Miller & Co. followed the hometown Cardinals’ timeout with an 8-3 surge during the final 3:55 of the opening half.
Makayla Lowry, who contributed 14 points and seven rebounds, sliced through traffic in the lane to scoop home a runner before Miller cashed in one of Emelia Klanderud’s four assists for a left-corner trifecta – one of her game-best six 3s – to re-establish a double-digit margin.
Khloe Visker, who tallied nine points, answered for Luverne with a traditional 3-point play off a right-wing drive, but Miller’s ensuing charity toss and Gwyn Schultz’s low-post leaner off a precision Miller bounce pass widened Fairmont’s halftime lead to 35-24. Schultz contributed 13 points and eight rebounds to the visiting Cardinals’ winning ways.
Miller and Schultz picked up the tempo in the second half where they left off during the waning seconds of the initial 18-minute segment to build a 44-28 edge on the scoreboard. Miller swooshed a top-of-the-key pull-up 3-pointer before Ingrid Schmuck tossed in a baseline drive for two of her 12 points to counter for Luverne.
Miller nailed another 3-pointer off a Klanderud assist, but Taya Johnson answered by working a low-post spin move for two of her team-leading 21 points to keep Luverne within striking distance at 41-28. Schultz, however, converted an ‘and-1’ play from the low blocks off Miller’s threaded pass for a 16-point advantage for Fairmont, who never trailed for the final 15 minutes.
Johnson pulled down a team-best eight rebounds for Luverne, while Schmuck added three steals and three assists to her 12-point effort.
Fairmont (2-0) hits the road to Redwood Falls on Friday (Dec. 5) to face Redwood Valley, while Luverne (1-1) travels to Arlington on Friday to play Sibley East.
Fairmont     35-32–67
Luverne      24-27–51